Lorcaserin in Obesity: Identification of CNS Targets Using fMRI

April 27, 2026 updated by: Christos Mantzoros, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
The purpose of this protocol is to investigate, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the effect of treatment with lorcaserin on centers of the brain that control appetite and food intake, as well as lorcaserin's downstream metabolic effects.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this protocol is to investigate the effect of treatment with the study drug, called lorcaserin on centers of the brain that control appetite and food intake, as well as lorcaserin's other metabolic effects. Lorcaserin's effect on the brain will be investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Lorcaserin was approved in June 2012 as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for chronic weight management. Previous weight loss drugs, such as fenfluramine, acted throughout the body and caused heart problems. Lorcaserin is different because it only acts on receptors (sites of action) that are found in the brain and does not act on the heart, and thus, has not been shown to cause the heart problems seen in the past.

  1. To examine the effects of the study drug lorcaserin, on the brain, and its impact on food visualization (high fat and low fat images) and interaction with satiety (by measuring during the fasting or fed states) using fMRI. (Satiety is defined as when a person has had enough or too much food and does not want to eat any more, as after finishing a satisfying meal.)
  2. To examine the satiety and weight-reducing effect of lorcaserin using physiological measurements (such as how much weight is lost and how this may affect hormone levels), and its association with changes in fMRI responses and neuropsychological performance. To examine whether the long-term weight reducing effects of lorcaserin can be predicted by early food visualization.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
        • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Obese: BMI> 30 kg/m2 or >27 kg/m2 with comorbidities (including but not limited to insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, hyperuricemia and gout, and osteoarthritis).

Additionally, women participants must use double barrier methods to prevent pregnancy (diaphragm with intravaginal spermicide, cervical cap, male or female condom with spermicide). If a woman suspects that she has become pregnant at any time or does not use one of the contraceptive methods recommended by the investigator, she must notify the study staff. If a woman becomes pregnant, she will be withdrawn from the study. The study staff will follow the progress of her pregnancy and the birth of her child.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Subjects using any other weight loss products (orlistat, phentermine, topiramate, fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, amphetamines, GLP-1 agonists) or use within 3 months.
  2. Women who are breastfeeding, pregnant, or wanting to become pregnant.
  3. Women using IUD (intrauterine device)
  4. Any change in the dosage of hormonal contraceptive medications (birth control pills, implanon). Subjects should remain on same medication/ same dose during the time of the entire study.
  5. Moderate (creatinine clearance of 30-59 ml/min) and severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance below 30 ml/min) and end-stage renal disease
  6. Moderate, or severe hepatic impairment
  7. Hypersensitivity to the active substance or any of the excipients in lorcaserin
  8. Congestive heart failure and/or pulmonary hypertension
  9. Arrhythmias (bradycardia, tachycardia) and valvular heart diseases
  10. Diagnosis of diabetes, defined per ADA criteria as Hba1c > 6.5% and/or fasting glucose > 125 mg/dL and/or random glucose > 200 mg/dL
  11. Inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, Rheumatoid arthritis etc.
  12. Alcohol consumption- the maximum quantity for men is 140g-210g per week. For women, the range is 84g-140g per week or drinking as consuming no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. Alcohol can cause increased risk of pancreatitis and hypoglycemia.
  13. Untreated thyroid disease like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
  14. Subjects taking the following medications: phosphodiesterase inhibitors, serotonergic medications (e.g. SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), SNRI, MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors, bupropion, tricyclic antidepressants, St. John's Wort), valproic acid, codeine (CYP2D6 inhibition), tamoxifen, timolol, warfarin, steroids (inhaled or systemic due to reduced hypoglycemic effect), and subjects on other hormones (LHRH analogs etc).
  15. Subjects with any type of bioimplant activated by mechanical, electronic, or magnetic means (e.g. cochlear implants, pacemakers, neuron or biostimulators, electronic infusion pumps, etc.)
  16. Subjects with any type of metallic implant that could potentially be displaced or damaged during MRI, such as aneurysm clips, metallic skull plates, surgical implants etc. or metal containing tattoos
  17. Anxiety of small spaces and/or claustrophobia
  18. Uncontrolled cardiac impairment, circulatory impairment, or inability to perspire (poor thermoregulatory function)
  19. Significant sensory or motor impairment
  20. Epilepsy, particularly photo-sensitive epilepsy, which may place the individual at a higher risk for adverse events during fMRI scanning with visual stimulation
  21. Subjects with neurological problems which may interfere with or complicate testing (e.g. presence of titubation)
  22. Body weight above the limitation of the MRI scanning table (330lbs/150 Kg) or body dimensions that could difficult the performance of the scan.
  23. Subjects who cannot adhere to the experimental protocol for any reason
  24. Anemia with Hgb less than 10
  25. Uncontrolled infectious diseases (e.g. HIV, hepatitis, chronic infections etc)
  26. Any uncontrolled endocrine condition, e.g. Cushing's, Acromegaly, etc
  27. Any cancers or lymphoma
  28. Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia
  29. Weight loss surgery or gastrectomy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Subjects will be randomized to either placebo or Lorcaserin HCl.
Drug: Placebo
This is a placebo oral pill that is a visual replica of the Lorcaserin medication but with no active ingredients.
Active Comparator: Active
Subjects will be randomized to either placebo or Lorcaserin HCl.
Drug: Lorcaserin HCl
Lorcaserin is a weight-loss drug developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals. It has serotonergic properties and acts as an anorectic.
Other Names:
  • Belviq

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
fMRI (Functional changes in the brain)
Time Frame: 28 days
28 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body Composition (DEXA)
Time Frame: 6 months

Changes in body composition will be assessed by the following measurements:

DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry): Body composition and bone density will be measured by DEXA. For the DEXA test, the subject will be lying on an examination bed for about 25 minutes. A small part of the DEXA machine will be recording and moving back and forth about 3 feet above their body. The radiation the subject will get is very small and is much less than what one gets from a regular chest X-Ray.

Anthropometry: Anthropometry will be performed by a licensed dietician. Measurements include: Height, Weight, umbilical and smallest waist, broadest and iliac hip measurements.
6 months
Metabolic Rate (Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Time Frame: 6 months
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): RMR is the amount of calories the subject burn without doing any physical work. The subject's RMR will be measured with a commonly used instrument. The subject will be asked to lie quietly in bed and stay awake with a large plastic hood over the subject's head and upper body for about 20 minutes. The subject will breathe normally while the air they breathe out is collected and analyzed.
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Christos S Mantzoros, MD DSc, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 12, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 26, 2015

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 27, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2014P000196

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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