Obesity, AdolescentPhase 2NCT04551482
Oxytocin for Weight Loss in Adolescents
A Phase 2 study testing Oxytocin nasal spray in people with Obesity, Adolescent and Oxytocin, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin in youths with obesity, ages 10-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (1 spray per nostril, 4 times per day) for 12 weeks. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 10 to 18 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity, Adolescent, Oxytocin
- What is being tested?
- Oxytocin nasal spray
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 54 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 28 Jul 2021to 31 May 2027
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 10 to 18 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Males and Females, 10-18 years
- Obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile for age and gender)
- Willingness to maintain current diet and lifestyle for the duration of study participation
Who cannot join
- Current substance abuse
- Use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or dietary/herbal supplements that may affect weight if dose increased in the three months preceding the baseline visit and/or if they plan to increase the dose during the 18 weeks of study participation.
- Greater than 5kg weight loss over 3 months;
- Follows a nonstandard diet (e.g., Paleo, Atkins, raw diet, macrobiotic diet)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Prolonged QT interval
Show all 17Show fewer
- Chronic inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory conditions
- Epilepsy
- TSH > 2.5 times upper limit of normal
- Alanine transaminase (ALT) or aspartate transaminase (AST) >2.5 times upper limit of normal
- Creatinine >1.5 mg/dl
- Hyponatremia
- Pregnancy/breastfeeding or refusal to use contraception not containing estrogen throughout the study if female and sexually active
- MRI exclusion criteria such as the presence of a pacemaker or cerebral aneurysm clips
- Weight >450 lbs due to limits for MRI and DXA scanners
- Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus if HbA1c >8%
- Active eating disorder
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
Elizabeth A Lawson, MD, ealawson@partners.org
About this study
Official title: Oxytocin as a Neuroendocrine Therapy for Obesity in Youth
This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin in youths with obesity, ages 10-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (1 spray per nostril, 4 times per day) for 12 weeks. Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, 2-part main study visits at baseline, week 8, and week 12, and safety check-in visits at weeks 1, and 4; phone calls at weeks 2, 6, and 10, with a safety follow-up visit 6 weeks after the last dose of study drug. Study procedures include appetite, behavioral, metabolic, and endocrine assessments.
Read the detailed description
In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity and its complications in both children and adults. Earlier treatment substantially reduces the likelihood of developing complications later in life while concurrently improving quality of life and decreasing mortality. Therefore, it is essential to develop safe and effective therapeutic strategies for weight loss, particularly in adolescents. Oxytocin (OXT), a hypothalamic peptide hormone that regulates energy balance, is a novel neuroendocrine weight-loss therapeutic in adults with obesity because it simultaneously reduces energy intake and increases energy expenditure and is well-tolerated. Data are currently lacking regarding effects of OXT administration in adolescents with obesity.
The current study is a 12-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) of OXT vs. placebo in 10-18-year old adolescents with obesity. We hypothesize that OXT administration will decrease weight as a consequence of decreased caloric intake and increased energy expenditure, both partially mediated by reduced hypothalamic inflammation (such inflammation drives weight gain by increasing food intake and reducing energy expenditure). Further, OXT will improve metabolic risk markers, such as visceral and intrahepatic fat, systemic inflammation, and serum lipids.
- Conditions
- Obesity, Adolescent, Oxytocin
- Being tested
- Oxytocin nasal spray, Placebo
- Medical subject headings
- Pediatric Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Oxytocin nasal sprayDrug
Also called Syntocin
24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks
PlaceboDrug
24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | Experimental | Oxytocin nasal spray (24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks) Receives: Drug: Oxytocin nasal spray |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Placebo nasal spray (24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks) Receives: Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Body mass index (BMI)
Mean difference in BMI between Oxytocin and Placebo group after 12 weeks of treatment. BMI will be calculated as weight/height2
Measured: 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Lean mass and Fat mass
Dual Energy Absorptiometry (DXA) will be used for measuring fat mass (kg) and lean mass (Kg)
Measured: 12 weeks
Fasting Resting Energy Expenditure (kCal)
Assessed by Indirect calorimetry
Measured: 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Sep 2020
- Study start28 Jul 2021
- Primary completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Obesity, AdolescentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Elizabeth Austen Lawson, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Elizabeth Lawson, MD, MMSc, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04551482
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020P002511
- Other IDs
- 1R01DK124223-01A1
- Status last verified
- Nov 2026
- First submitted
- 31 Aug 2020
- Last updated
- 4 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Individual participant data requested by specific investigator after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices) after proposal is provided.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Oxytocin as a Neuroendocrine Therapy for Obesity in Youth
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04551482
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2020P002511
- Conditions
- Obesity, Adolescent, Oxytocin
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
- Study start
- 28 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Sep 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin in youths with obesity, ages 10-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (1 spray per nostril, 4 times per day) for 12 weeks. Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, 2-part main study visits at baseline, week 8, and week 12, and safety check-in visits at weeks 1, and 4; phone calls at weeks 2, 6, and 10, with a safety follow-up visit 6 weeks after the last dose of study drug. Study procedures include appetite, behavioral, metabolic, and endocrine assessments.
Detailed description
In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity and its complications in both children and adults. Earlier treatment substantially reduces the likelihood of developing complications later in life while concurrently improving quality of life and decreasing mortality. Therefore, it is essential to develop safe and effective therapeutic strategies for weight loss, particularly in adolescents. Oxytocin (OXT), a hypothalamic peptide hormone that regulates energy balance, is a novel neuroendocrine weight-loss therapeutic in adults with obesity because it simultaneously reduces energy intake and increases energy expenditure and is well-tolerated. Data are currently lacking regarding effects of OXT administration in adolescents with obesity.
The current study is a 12-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) of OXT vs. placebo in 10-18-year old adolescents with obesity. We hypothesize that OXT administration will decrease weight as a consequence of decreased caloric intake and increased energy expenditure, both partially mediated by reduced hypothalamic inflammation (such inflammation drives weight gain by increasing food intake and reducing energy expenditure). Further, OXT will improve metabolic risk markers, such as visceral and intrahepatic fat, systemic inflammation, and serum lipids.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | Experimental | Drug: Oxytocin nasal sprayOxytocin nasal spray (24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks) |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: PlaceboPlacebo nasal spray (24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 10 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Males and Females, 10-18 years
- Obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile for age and gender)
- Willingness to maintain current diet and lifestyle for the duration of study participation
Key exclusion criteria (17 listed)
- Current substance abuse
- Use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or dietary/herbal supplements that may affect weight if dose increased in the three months preceding the baseline visit and/or if they plan to increase the dose during the 18 weeks of study participation.
- Greater than 5kg weight loss over 3 months;
- Follows a nonstandard diet (e.g., Paleo, Atkins, raw diet, macrobiotic diet)
- Cardiovascular disease
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin nasal sprayAlso: Syntocin24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks | Drug | Oxytocin |
| Placebo24 IU nasal spray, 4 times per day for 12 weeks | Drug | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Body mass index (BMI)
Time frame: 12 weeks
Mean difference in BMI between Oxytocin and Placebo group after 12 weeks of treatment. BMI will be calculated as weight/height2
2 secondary outcomes
Lean mass and Fat mass
Time frame: 12 weeks
Fasting Resting Energy Expenditure (kCal)
Time frame: 12 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Individual participant data requested by specific investigator after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices) after proposal is provided.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Elizabeth Lawson, MD, MMSc principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Oxytocin nasal spray in people with Obesity, Adolescent and Oxytocin, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 17 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Elizabeth A Lawson, MD, MMSc (617-726-3870, ealawson@partners.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Body mass index (BMI) (time frame: 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Nov 2026.