JOULE - Metabolic Adaptation to Weight Loss in Response to a Behavioural Lifestyle Program With or Without Semaglutide in Adolescents With Obesity

NCT06852391 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 74

Last updated 2026-01-14

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The Joule MARS study is a single center, randomized, open label clinical trial aiming to explore the metabolic adaptations that occur in response to weight management in adolescents with obesity. Behavioural lifestyle intervention with and without a pharmacological intervention - semaglutide- will be studied. Study participants will be randomized to one of two groups. Group A will follow a behavioral lifestyle program (BLP) alone for 6 months, followed by BLP and treatment with semaglutide for six months. Group B will be enrolled in BLP and semaglutide from baseline to 6 months. The primary research question will assess, in youth aged 12-17 years diagnosed with obesity and enrolled in a weight management program, if the implementation of a BLP together with semaglutide, compared to the implementation of BLP alone for 6 months leads to less adaptive thermogenesis.

Conditions

  • Obesity (Disorder)

Interventions

DRUG

Semaglutide Pen Injector

Semaglutide will be delivered by a subcutaneous injection using an injectable pen once weekly. Semaglutide is formulated with 5 approved doses (0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg). Treatment will commence with the lowest dose and will be increased every 4 weeks to the maximum tolerable dose where they will remain for the remainder of the treatment. Participants who are taking the drug will have monthly visits to assess any adverse events, dose titration and drug adherence.

BEHAVIORAL

Behavioural Lifestyle Program (BLP)

The BLP will be delivered by the Growing Healthy Weight Management (GHWM) pediatric program at McMaster Children's Hospital. GHWM is a family-based program addressing health behaviours (nutritional pattern and eating behaviours, physical activity, sedentary time and sleep) and physical and mental health issues. In Year 1, the program typically includes 2 group sessions and monthly individualized sessions with the participant and their family. The interdisciplinary weight management team is comprised of a registered dietician, exercise physiologist, kinesiologist, social worker and/or psychologist, general pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologists.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

    collaborator OTHER_GOV
  • Diabetes Canada

    collaborator OTHER
  • McMaster University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Katherine M Morrison, MD FRCPC · McMaster University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
12 Years
Max Age
17 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-06-18
Primary Completion
2027-12-31
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Entities

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06852391 on ClinicalTrials.gov