Incretin Microdosing for Cardiometabolic Health in People With HIV (REINFORCE)

February 13, 2026 updated by: Jordan Elizabeth Lake, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Incretin Microdosing for Cardiometabolic Health in People With HIV: The REINFORCE Trial

The objectives of this study are as follows:

Primary Objective

  • To determine the rate of weight regain in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PWH) receiving semaglutide microdosing vs. no additional drug following induction therapy.

Secondary Objectives

  • To evaluate the tolerability of semaglutide microdosing in adults with HIV.
  • To evaluate changes in weight, waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) over 12 weeks (W) of semaglutide weight loss induction and 48 W of semaglutide microdosing therapy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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.

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.
30

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 2

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Confirmed human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
  • On antiretroviral therapy (ART) for greater than or equal to 24 weeks prior to entry and no change in regimen in the 12 weeks prior to entry or planned change for the study duration
  • HIV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) <200 copies/mL at screening
  • BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 or greater than or equal to 27 kg/m2 if also with greater than or equal to 1 weight-related comorbidity
  • If taking anti-inflammatory or blood-pressure-/lipid-/glucose-lowering medications, no change in dose for greater than or equal to 12 weeks prior to entry and no plans to dose escalate for the study duration
  • All participants must be willing and able to provide written informed consent and undergo all required study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Weight greater than or equal to 400 pounds [due to dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) machine limitations] or unexplained weight change greater than or equal to 5% in the 12 weeks prior to entry
  • Diagnosis of or on treatment for diabetes mellitus (stable metformin dosing for pre-diabetes not excluded)
  • Current or planned use of medications for the treatment of obesity, or medications likely to cause significant changes in weight, during the study period
  • Plans to newly engage in formal, intensive physical activity or diet (such as ketogenic or very low carbohydrate) programs during the study period
  • Active eating disorder
  • Use of human growth hormone, tesamorelin or anabolic steroids <12 weeks prior to entry, unless on a stable dose for >24 weeks prior to entry, or plans to start any of these medications while on study
  • Active, severe delayed gastric emptying
  • Prior bariatric surgery or major gastric surgery or plans for weight reduction surgery while on study
  • Known retinopathy
  • Personal or first-degree relative history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2
  • Untreated, poorly controlled or previously undiagnosed thyroid disease
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Known allergy/sensitivity to Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1RA)
  • Poorly controlled or previously undiagnosed thyroid disease, defined as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) <0.5 or >10 milli-international units per liter (mIU/L) at screening
  • Active drug or alcohol use that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements
  • Pregnancy, nursing or plans for either during the study period
  • Use of planned use of any immunomodulatory therapy HIV vaccine, investigational therapy or tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) therapy during the study period
  • Current serious illness requiring systemic treatment and/or hospitalization, in the opinion of site investigator

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: None (Open Label)

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.
Experimental: Dose escalation to 2 mg semaglutide weekly then semaglutide microdosing at 0.5 mg weekly
Participants will initiate semaglutide at 0.25 milligrams (mg) subcutaneously per week with dose titration up to 2.0 mg subcutaneously per week, over a total of 12 weeks. Dose titration will occur as follows: 0.25 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 0.5 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 1 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 2.0 mg weekly for 4 weeks. Then, participants in this arm will receive microdosing with semaglutide at 0.5 mg subcutaneously every week during weeks 13-60.
Drug: Dose escalation to 2 mg semaglutide weekly then semaglutide microdosing at 0.5 mg weekly
Participants will initiate semaglutide at 0.25 milligrams (mg) subcutaneously per week with dose titration up to 2.0 mg subcutaneously per week, over a total of 12 weeks. Dose titration will occur as follows: 0.25 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 0.5 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 1 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 2.0 mg weekly for 4 weeks. Then, participants in this arm will receive microdosing with semaglutide at 0.5 mg subcutaneously every week during weeks 13-60.
Experimental: Dose escalation to 2 mg semaglutide weekly then no semaglutide
Participants will initiate semaglutide at 0.25 milligrams (mg) subcutaneously per week with dose titration up to 2.0 mg subcutaneously per week, over a total of 12 weeks. Dose titration will occur as follows: 0.25 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 0.5 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 1 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 2.0 mg weekly for 4 weeks. Then, participants in this arm will receive no semaglutide during weeks 13-60.
Drug: Dose escalation to 2 mg semaglutide weekly then no semaglutide
Participants will initiate semaglutide at 0.25 milligrams (mg) subcutaneously per week with dose titration up to 2.0 mg subcutaneously per week, over a total of 12 weeks. Dose titration will occur as follows: 0.25 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 0.5 mg weekly for 2 weeks, then 1 mg weekly for 4 weeks, then 2.0 mg weekly for 4 weeks. Then, participants in this arm will receive no semaglutide during weeks 13-60.

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percent weight regain from weeks 12-60 (microdosing period)
Time Frame: from week 12 to week 60
The percent weight regain from weeks 12-60 (microdosing period), calculated as the median within-person: change in weight (kg) from weeks 60-12 (microdosing period) divided by the change in weight (kg) from weeks 12-0 (dose escalation period).
from week 12 to week 60

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
Tolerability of semaglutide microdosing in participants as indicated by total number of serious adverse events (SAEs) and adverse events (AEs)
Time Frame: From baseline through week 60
Total number of serious adverse events (SAEs) and adverse events (AEs) will be reported.
From baseline through week 60
Absolute change in weight
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Percent change in weight
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Absolute change in body mass index (BMI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Percent change in body mass index (BMI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Absolute change in minimum waist circumference
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Percent change in minimum waist circumference
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks
Baseline, 12 weeks, 60 weeks

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.
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus (UCD-AMC)

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: Jordan Lake, MD, MSc, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

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.
February 12, 2026

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.
May 31, 2028

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 30, 2029

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 6, 2026

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.
January 6, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

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.
January 8, 2026

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.
February 18, 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.
February 13, 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.
February 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.
  • HSC-MS-25-0376
  • 1R01DK142171-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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