Semaglutide in Comorbid Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder and Obesity (Sema)

  • STATUS
    Recruiting
  • End date
    Aug 4, 2025
  • participants needed
    92
  • sponsor
    Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Updated on 4 April 2023

Summary

Rates of obesity in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (SSD)s have reached epidemic proportions, with established contributing effects of antipsychotic (AP) medications. Among agents approved for chronic weight management, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are associated with reductions in cardiovascular mortality, with recent FDA approval for once weekly semaglutide for this indication. This study will investigate whether semaglutide is effective in reducing body weight in overweight or obese individuals with SSDs who are on APs and do not demonstrate adequate weight loss on metformin (the first line treatment for weight loss in SSDs).

Description

People with SSDs die early of iatrogenic cardiometabolic disease. Clinically, metformin remains the first line agent to mitigate this risk. In real-world clinical practice, metformin is likely to remain the first line treatment for AP-induced weight gain (given low cost, efficacy, and safety data). However, metformin is only effective in ~20% of patients. Hence, there is a need for interventions for AP-induced weight gain non-responsive to metformin. GLP-1RAs might represent the next rational step as they have a good safety profile, advantages of weekly administration, and early efficacy evidence to support their use in SSD and comorbid obesity, with benefits on dysglycemia, and visceral adiposity. Semaglutide, recently approved for chronic weight loss is an attractive option given a similar adverse effect profile but superior metabolic efficacy compared to other GLP-1 agents. The observations supporting an association between metabolic perturbations and cognition, along with preliminary evidence for neuroprotective effects of GLP-1RAs, suggest that by modifying metabolic risk factors, the investigators may be able to target difficult-to-treat domains of the illness such as cognitive dysfunction.

This study will examine the effect of semaglutide on:

  1. Percentage change in body weight
  2. Measures of glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors
  3. Psychopathology
  4. Cognition
  5. Lifestyle-based assessments

Details
Condition Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Treatment Placebo, semaglutide
Clinical Study IdentifierNCT05333003
SponsorCentre for Addiction and Mental Health
Last Modified on4 April 2023

Eligibility

Yes No Not Sure

Inclusion Criteria

Stable outpatients or inpatients aged 18-65 years, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or major depressive disorder with psychotic features, or bipolar disorder (does not need to have psychotic features)
On maintenance treatment with an AP (stable dose for ≥3 months)
BMI must be ≥30 kg/m2, OR ≥27 kg/m2 with the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity (treated or untreated): hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or impaired fasting glucose, OR BMI ≥25 with individual having gained >5% bodyweight in association with AP treatment
History of failure to lose ≥5% body weight over at least 16 weeks on the highest tolerated trial of metformin, and who are not currently being treated with metformin (minimum of 1 week metformin-free prior to study entry)

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with severe substance disorder other than tobacco or caffeine use disorder; only severe substance use disorder is exclusionary for cannabis use
Liver, or renal dysfunction
A positive drug urine screen other than cannabis as per PI discretion
Sexually active females of child-bearing age not on a regular contraceptive, or nursing or with a positive pregnancy test
Clinical or laboratory evidence of uncompensated cardiovascular, endocrine, haematological, or pulmonary disease
History of reactive hypoglycaemia
Treatment within 3 months, or failure to tolerate GLP-1RA
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) or current diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), diagnosis of T2D on OGTT screen, or HbA1c > 6.5%
Use of Health Canada approved weight-lowering agents, warfarin, coumarin derivatives, or medication with significant renal impact
Major medical or surgical event within the preceding 3 months
Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome
History of pancreatitis or elevated amylase on screen
History of severe gastrointestinal disease, (i.e. gastroparesis)
Acute suicidal risk
Uncompensated thyroid disorder
History of heart rhythm disturbances, conduction system abnormalities, or evidence of clinically relevant abnormalities on screening ECG
History of gallstones with intact gallbladder or those at increased risk of gallbladder complications (with intact gallbladder)
Any condition that interferes with the safe acquisition of MRI data such as metal implants, pacemakers, aneurysm clips, cochlear implants (only for the MRI component; can participate in the remainder of the trial)
Clear my responses

How to participate?

Step 1 Connect with a study center
What happens next?
  • You can expect the study team to contact you via email or phone in the next few days.
  • Sign up as volunteer  to help accelerate the development of new treatments and to get notified about similar trials.

You are contacting

Investigator Avatar

Primary Contact

site

Additional screening procedures may be conducted by the study team before you can be confirmed eligible to participate.

Learn more

If you are confirmed eligible after full screening, you will be required to understand and sign the informed consent if you decide to enroll in the study. Once enrolled you may be asked to make scheduled visits over a period of time.

Learn more

Complete your scheduled study participation activities and then you are done. You may receive summary of study results if provided by the sponsor.

Learn more

Similar trials to consider

Loading...

Not finding what you're looking for?

Every year hundreds of thousands of volunteers step forward to participate in research. Sign up as a volunteer and receive email notifications when clinical trials are posted in the medical category of interest to you.

Sign up as volunteer

user name

Added by • 

 • 

Private

Reply by • Private
Loading...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur, adipisicing elit. Ipsa vel nobis alias. Quae eveniet velit voluptate quo doloribus maxime et dicta in sequi, corporis quod. Ea, dolor eius? Dolore, vel!

  The passcode will expire in None.
Loading...

No annotations made yet

Add a private note
  • abc Select a piece of text from the left.
  • Add notes visible only to you.
  • Send it to people through a passcode protected link.
Add a private note