GLPwatch

Brown Adipose Tissue Activity in Response to Semaglutide Administered to Obese Subjects.

NCT05419726 · Recruiting

Last updated 2026-05-28

This clinical trial tests whether the medication semaglutide affects the activity of brown fat in people with obesity when exposed to cold.

Status Recruiting Currently enrolling participants.
Type Observational
Participants 20 people Planned (estimated).
Who can join Ages 18+ · all sexes Healthy volunteers accepted.
Timeline Started 2023-02 · est. completion 2026-02
Where 1 site · United States

What this study is testing ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05419726 ↗

Description as written by the study sponsor.

Glucagon like peptide (GLP-1) agonists, such as liraglutide, exenatide, and semaglutide, have been increasingly used as a medication to address the current twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity. Their activities include increasing insulin production by pancreatic beta cells, improving insulin sensitivity in muscles and weight loss. The mechanisms underpinning the weight loss caused by GLP-1 agonists have not yet been fully elucidated, but brown adipose tissue (BAT) appears to play an important role. We propose to assess BAT activity, using infrared thermography camera images, before individuals start weekly administration of semaglutide, at week 2-4, and week 18-20. We hypothesize that this GLP-1 agonist, semaglutide, will cause an increase in BAT activity and a corresponding increase in basal metabolic rate.

Treatments tested

Main thing measuredchange in supraclavicular temperature with cold exposure
SponsorUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Conditions studiedObesity
GLP-1 drugs semaglutide

Full protocol, eligibility, and contacts on ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05419726 ↗