Effect of Tirzepatide and Bimagrumab on Body Composition, Insulin Sensitivity, and Bone in Adults With Obesity
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years and older
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This 52-week study tests tirzepatide and bimagrumab together and each drug alone, along with lifestyle changes for weight loss. It looks at changes in fat, muscle, bone, and how well the body uses insulin to control blood sugar. It is for adults with obesity, or excess weight and a weight-related health problem, who want to lose weight.
In adults with obesity seeking treatment, weight loss would ideally be composed almost exclusively of fat mass. However, loss of muscle mass and bone are unintentional consequences of weight loss, which may have negative effects on health by lessening improvements in glucose and insulin levels, reducing resting metabolic rate, and increasing the risk of falls and fractures. Data in animals and humans suggest that bimagrumab, an investigational new drug for obesity that inhibits the activin type II receptor (ActRII) inhibitor, may help maximize loss of fat mass while maintaining muscle mass when used in combination with a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA). The investigators hypothesize that in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 63 adults with obesity randomized to tirzepatide (GLP-1/GIP RA) + bimagrumab, tirzepatide alone, or bimagrumab alone, the combination of tirzepatide + bimagrumab will result in improvements in muscle, fat, and bone compared to tirzepatide alone or bimagrumab alone when given in addition to a lifestyle intervention for weight loss over 52 weeks.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Have a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with at least one weight-related health problem. BMI is a measure of weight compared with height.
- Have tried at least once to lose weight through behavior changes without success.
- Have a regular primary care provider.
Who can't join
- Have diabetes now or in the past, or certain abnormal blood tests, including liver, kidney, blood cell, or blood-clotting tests.
- Have certain serious heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, stomach, or bowel problems; a long-term active infection; or a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
- Have certain cancers within the past 5 years, or a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2, a condition that can cause tumors.
- Have a serious current mental health condition, a past suicide attempt, or a high depression screening score. Well-treated depression on stable treatment for at least 3 months is allowed. Alcohol, drug, tobacco, and cannabis use restrictions also apply.
- Have had or plan weight-loss surgery, recently used weight-loss products, or started a new weight-loss diet or exercise plan within 3 months. Weight changes over 5 kg in 3 months, weight over 150 kg, and some hormone-related or inherited causes of obesity also rule out joining.
- Use certain medicines that affect weight, blood sugar, muscle, or bone; have certain weak-bone conditions; or have allergies to drugs like the study drugs. Men with low testosterone are also excluded.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding, or do not meet the study’s rules for preventing pregnancy.
- Cannot follow the diet, walking, visit, or MRI requirements. Other reasons include certain recent blood donations, planned major surgery, conflicting research, extended travel or moving away, and other safety concerns.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or ≥27kg/m2 with at least one weight-related medical condition * Have a history of at least one self-reported unsuccessful behavioral effort to lose body weight * Have an established primary care provider Exclusion Criteria: * Current or prior history of diabetes mellitus based on self-report, use of diabetes medications, HbA1c ≥6.5%, or fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL * Any single serum transaminase level (i.e., ALT, AST, alk phos) ≥3x the upper limit of normal (ULN) * Serum lipase and/or amylase levels ≥2x ULN * Serum bilirubin level \>1.6 mg/dL * Chronic kidney disease (e.g., estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \< 45 mL/min) * Total WBC \<3000/μL, neutrophils \<1500/μL, hemoglobin \<12 g/dL, or platelet count \<100,000/μL * Significant coagulopathy, e.g., PT/INR \>1.5 * History of familial hypertriglyceridemia or serum fasting triglyceride \>500 mg/dL * Uncontrolled thyroid disease, defined as abnormal TSH with abnormal fT4 * Any chronic active infection (e.g., HIV, hepatitis B or C) or hepatitis C treatment within the previous 6 months * Known history or presence of severe active acute or chronic liver disease (e.g., cirrhosis) or conditions with hepatotoxic potential (e.g., gallbladder or bile duct disease, acute or chronic pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) * Active clinically significant gastric emptying abnormality or chronic use of a drug(s) that directly affect GI motility * History of calcium oxalate kidney stones * History of clinically significant arrhythmias, unstable angina, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, percutaneous coronary intervention, heart failure, valve disorders or defect, pulmonary hypertension, chronic hypotension (\<100/50), or chronic uncontrolled hypertension (\>160/100) * Tachycardia, defined as heart rate \>100 bpm after 5 minutes resting in a sitting position * History of malignancy of any organ system (other than localized squamous or basal cell carcinoma of the skin), treated or untreated, within the previous 5 years * Confirmed diagnosis of current, significant psychiatric disease (e.g., dementia, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder). Individuals with adequately treated depression on stable treatment for at least 3 months are eligible. * Prior history of suicide attempt * PHQ-9 score ≥ 15 at screening * Personal or family history of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A or 2B or medullary thyroid cancer * Active alcohol, drug, or tobacco abuse. For alcohol, an average weekly alcohol intake that exceeds 14 units per week (males) or 7 units per week (females) \[1 unit = 12 oz or 260 mL of beer; 5 oz or 150 mL of wine; 1.5 oz or 45 mL of distilled spirits\] is exclusionary. * Cannabis/THC use greater than once a week over the past three months and unwilling to abstain from use of cannabis/THC products for the duration of the study * Have obesity induced by other endocrinologic disorders (e.g., Cushing syndrome) or diagnosed monogenetic or syndromic forms of obesity (e.g., Melanocortin 4 Receptor deficiency or Prader Willi syndrome) * History of weight loss surgery or planned weight loss surgery during the trial period * Use of any anti-obesity medication, nutritional supplement, or over the counter (OTC) product for weight loss within the previous 6 months or during study participation * Any new dietary intervention or exercise regimen for weight loss started within the previous 3 months * Weight instability of \>5kg within the previous 3 months * Weight \> 150kg due to limitations of radiology imaging machines * Use of medications known or suspected to induce weight gain within the previous 3 months or during study participation (e.g., anti-androgens, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs, some anticonvulsant and psychotropic medications (excluding anti-depressant medication) and oral glucocorticoids) * Use of skeletal muscle anabolic agents within the previous 3 months or during study participation (e.g., hormones such as growth hormone or testosterone, nutritional supplements (other than protein) and over-the-counter products labeled as muscle anabolic agents) * Treatment with glucose-lowering agent(s) within 90 days before screening * History of hypersensitivity to monoclonal antibodies or drugs in the same compound class as the study drugs * History of fragility fracture or BMD T-score ≤ -2.5 in participants \> 50 years old * Use of IV bisphosphonates within the previous 2 years or other osteoporosis medications within the previous 12 months or during study participation * Not able or willing to comply with dietary and lifestyle intervention for weight loss, including history of clinically significant condition that precludes regular walking for exercise or contraindication to following a 500-calorie daily deficit, high protein diet * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Women of child-bearing potential, defined as women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, unless they are using an intrauterine device (IUD) from at least 3 months before the baseline visit through at least 4 months after the last drug dose and an additional contraceptive (barrier) method from screening through at least 4 months after the last drug dose. Women not of child-bearing potential are defined as individuals who (1) have a congenital anomaly such as Mullerian agenesis, resulting in confirmed infertility, (2) are infertile due to surgical sterilization (defined as documented hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy), or (3) are post-menopausal. The following groups of women are eligible to participate: (a) women who are s/p surgical bilateral oophorectomy or total hysterectomy at least 6 weeks before taking study treatment, (b) women who have an IUD (see additional criteria above), (c) women who are s/p tubal ligation provided that they use an additional barrier form of contraception from screening through at least 4 months after the last drug dose, (d) women who are post-menopausal defined as ≥12 months of spontaneous amenorrhea with appropriate clinical and hormonal profile (e.g., age-appropriate, history of vasomotor symptoms, and/or FSH \>40 IU/L), (e) have a congenital anomaly resulting in confirmed infertility, and (f) do not have a history of sexual activity that could lead to pregnancy (i.e., total abstinence has been and is their preferred lifestyle or same-sex partners only). * For men, morning serum testosterone less than 200 ng/dL * Concurrently enrolled in any other type of medical research judged to be scientifically or medically incompatible with this study * Plans to move out of the study area within 16 months, or be out of the study area for \>4 weeks, continuously * Routine MRI exclusion * Donation or loss of 400 mL or more of blood within past 2 months or plasma donation (\> 250 mL) within past 2 weeks * Major surgery in the trial period * Any disorder, unwillingness, or inability not covered by any of the other exclusion criteria, which in the Investigator's opinion, might jeopardize the subject's safety or compliance with the protocol
Study sites (1)
MA
- Massachusetts General Hospital · Boston, MA 02114Melanie Haines, MD · Study contact · 617-726-3870 · mshaines@mgh.harvard.eduMore trials in Boston