ObesityPhase 1/2NCT05083546
Methylglyoxal (MGO) Lowering Cocktail to Reduce Appetite in Obese Individuals
A Phase 1/2 study testing Gly-low in people with Obesity and Aging, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar rich foods are a major driving factor in the pathogenesis of obesity, which has become one of the most significant health care burdens. The molecular underpinnings of these hedonic mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar are poorly understood. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- What is being tested?
- Gly-low
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2024to 1 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Phase 1/2
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 50 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Obese (BMI >27) individuals
Who cannot join
- must be older than 50 years of age or older
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, 94143
About this study
Official title: Testing the Impact of a Combination of Dietary Supplements With Multimodal Effects on Longevity Mechanisms on Reducing Body Weight and Delaying Aging
Mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar rich foods are a major driving factor in the pathogenesis of obesity, which has become one of the most significant health care burdens. The molecular underpinnings of these hedonic mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar are poorly understood. The investigators demonstrated that methylglyoxal (MGO) derived Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) enhance food intake especially under a high sugar diet. The investigators identified a methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail, Gly-low, a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine that demonstrates a multimodal effect influencing many pathways related to aging including calorie restriction. Glycation lowering (Gly-low) treatment significantly reduces food intake and weight gain in the db/db mice that lack the leptin receptor. The investigators also extended the lifespan of C57BL/6 mice fed with these compounds starting when they were 24 months old. Based on these results, the investigators hypothesized that methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail of compounds can be given to adults with obesity, specified as body mass index (BMI) >27, to lower serum and urinary markers of insulin resistance, lower boy mass index (BMI), and lower food intake.
Read the detailed description
The aging population in the United States of America and around the world is expected to put enormous pressure on the medical system and thus aging remains the biggest challenge for biomedicine. The current approaches to slow aging or age-related diseases rely on targeting specific pathways for each indication, whereas the cause of aging is multifactorial. Hence, developing drugs that can function in a multimodal fashion to engage multiple pathways involved in aging is likely to be a much more effective approach.
Previous studies have demonstrated that combining mutations in the insulin and tOR (target of rapamycin) pathway can result in a nearly five-fold extension in lifespan. This study proposes to achieve similar effects pharmacologically. A compound mix has been identified utilizing glycation lowering (Gly-low) compounds that alter multiple key pathways involved in aging including the reduction of calorie intake, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism, inflammation, glycation stress and increased fat burning. Preliminary findings that have shown significant increases in survival of normal and diabetic mice models fed with Gly-low confirms the efficacy of multimodal benefits of Glycation lowering (Gly-low) compounds. Glycation lowering (Gly-low) compounds were chosen based on their ability to protect neurons against glycation stress and consist of 5 compounds that have been designated GRAS (generally regarded as safe) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on these results, the investigators hypothesize that methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail of compounds can be given to adults with obesity, specified as body mass index body mass index (BMI) >27, to lower serum and urinary markers of insulin resistance, lower body mass index (BMI), and lower food intake. Successful completion of this innovative project will result in a cocktail of compounds that can complement ongoing treatments to reduce obesity and enhance the health and slow age-related diseases.
This is a single center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. 100 subjects will be recruited between the ages of 50 and 70 yrs with a body mass index (BMI)>27. The participant will take 3 Gly-low supplements in pill form orally by mouth once in the morning. Baseline measurements in body mass index (BMI) (height and weight), waist circumference, food intake and dietary behavior (by questionnaire), urine, and serum will be obtained. Body mass index (BMI) will be measured every 12 weeks. The primary endpoints will be measures of physical frailty, based on performance and a clinical frailty index, and cognitive performance based on a cognitive impairment questionnaire, including memory, will be measured after 6 months and 12 months. Urine and serum will be analyzed every 12 weeks for various aging and metabolic markers. Patients will also be monitored for side effects or other compound related issues.
Screening data will be reviewed to determine subject eligibility. Subjects who meet all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria will be entered into the study.
- Being tested
- Gly-low, Placebo
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Gly-lowDrug
MGO cocktail containing a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine
PlaceboOther
sugar pill
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | MGO cocktail containing a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine Receives: Drug: Gly-low |
| Control | Placebo comparator | sugar pill Receives: Other: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in body mass index (BMI) from baseline to 1 year
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculated from a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.
Measured: baseline and one year
Change in frailty from baseline to 1 year
Frailty will be assessed and measured using a questionnaire-based method as well as analyzing the physical performance of the subject in clinic. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a judgement-based frailty tool that evaluates specific domains including comorbidity, function, and cognition to generate a frailty score ranging from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill).
Measured: baseline and 1 year
Change of cognition from baseline to 1 year
Cognition will be assessed and measured using a questionnaire-based method. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a judgement-based frailty tool that evaluates specific domains including comorbidity, function, and cognition to generate a frailty score ranging from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill).
Measured: baseline to 1 year
Secondary outcomes (1)
Blood Marker Glucose for Aging and Insulin Resistance
Blood samples will be collected and analyzed over the course of the study to measure the blood marker glucose in mmol/L associated with aging and insulin resistance.
Measured: baseline to 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Oct 2021
- Study start1 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Why it stopped: No funding
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ObesityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San FranciscoThe 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 1/2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Double-Blinded, Randomized Control Trial
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Marshall Stoller, MD, Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05083546
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20-32631
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 26 Jul 2021
- Last updated
- 29 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: No IPD will be shared.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Testing the Impact of a Combination of Dietary Supplements With Multimodal Effects on Longevity Mechanisms on Reducing Body Weight and Delaying Aging
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05083546
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20-32631
- Phase
- Phase 1/2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: No funding
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Oct 2021 (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.
Mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar rich foods are a major driving factor in the pathogenesis of obesity, which has become one of the most significant health care burdens. The molecular underpinnings of these hedonic mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar are poorly understood. The investigators demonstrated that methylglyoxal (MGO) derived Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) enhance food intake especially under a high sugar diet. The investigators identified a methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail, Gly-low, a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine that demonstrates a multimodal effect influencing many pathways related to aging including calorie restriction. Glycation lowering (Gly-low) treatment significantly reduces food intake and weight gain in the db/db mice that lack the leptin receptor. The investigators also extended the lifespan of C57BL/6 mice fed with these compounds starting when they were 24 months old. Based on these results, the investigators hypothesized that methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail of compounds can be given to adults with obesity, specified as body mass index (BMI) >27, to lower serum and urinary markers of insulin resistance, lower boy mass index (BMI), and lower food intake.
Detailed description
The aging population in the United States of America and around the world is expected to put enormous pressure on the medical system and thus aging remains the biggest challenge for biomedicine. The current approaches to slow aging or age-related diseases rely on targeting specific pathways for each indication, whereas the cause of aging is multifactorial. Hence, developing drugs that can function in a multimodal fashion to engage multiple pathways involved in aging is likely to be a much more effective approach.
Previous studies have demonstrated that combining mutations in the insulin and tOR (target of rapamycin) pathway can result in a nearly five-fold extension in lifespan. This study proposes to achieve similar effects pharmacologically. A compound mix has been identified utilizing glycation lowering (Gly-low) compounds that alter multiple key pathways involved in aging including the reduction of calorie intake, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism, inflammation, glycation stress and increased fat burning. Preliminary findings that have shown significant increases in survival of normal and diabetic mice models fed with Gly-low confirms the efficacy of multimodal benefits of Glycation lowering (Gly-low) compounds. Glycation lowering (Gly-low) compounds were chosen based on their ability to protect neurons against glycation stress and consist of 5 compounds that have been designated GRAS (generally regarded as safe) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on these results, the investigators hypothesize that methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail of compounds can be given to adults with obesity, specified as body mass index body mass index (BMI) >27, to lower serum and urinary markers of insulin resistance, lower body mass index (BMI), and lower food intake. Successful completion of this innovative project will result in a cocktail of compounds that can complement ongoing treatments to reduce obesity and enhance the health and slow age-related diseases.
This is a single center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. 100 subjects will be recruited between the ages of 50 and 70 yrs with a body mass index (BMI)>27. The participant will take 3 Gly-low supplements in pill form orally by mouth once in the morning. Baseline measurements in body mass index (BMI) (height and weight), waist circumference, food intake and dietary behavior (by questionnaire), urine, and serum will be obtained. Body mass index (BMI) will be measured every 12 weeks. The primary endpoints will be measures of physical frailty, based on performance and a clinical frailty index, and cognitive performance based on a cognitive impairment questionnaire, including memory, will be measured after 6 months and 12 months. Urine and serum will be analyzed every 12 weeks for various aging and metabolic markers. Patients will also be monitored for side effects or other compound related issues.
Screening data will be reviewed to determine subject eligibility. Subjects who meet all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria will be entered into the study.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Double-Blinded, Randomized Control Trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Drug: Gly-lowMGO cocktail containing a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine |
| Control | Placebo comparator | Other: Placebosugar pill |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Obese (BMI >27) individuals
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- must be older than 50 years of age or older
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gly-lowMGO cocktail containing a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine | Drug | Intervention |
| Placebosugar pill | Other | Control |
Primary outcome
Change in body mass index (BMI) from baseline to 1 year
Time frame: baseline and one year
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculated from a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.
Change in frailty from baseline to 1 year
Time frame: baseline and 1 year
Frailty will be assessed and measured using a questionnaire-based method as well as analyzing the physical performance of the subject in clinic. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a judgement-based frailty tool that evaluates specific domains including comorbidity, function, and cognition to generate a frailty score ranging from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill).
Change of cognition from baseline to 1 year
Time frame: baseline to 1 year
Cognition will be assessed and measured using a questionnaire-based method. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a judgement-based frailty tool that evaluates specific domains including comorbidity, function, and cognition to generate a frailty score ranging from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill).
1 secondary outcome
Blood Marker Glucose for Aging and Insulin Resistance
Time frame: baseline to 1 year
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Aug 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. No IPD will be shared.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Marshall Stoller, MD principal investigator
University of California, San Francisco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1/2 study testing Gly-low in people with Obesity and Aging, run by University of California, San Francisco 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 1 inclusion and 1 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: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Aug 2025. 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 combined phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
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?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in body mass index (BMI) from baseline to 1 year (time frame: baseline and one year). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 29 Aug 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.