Semaglutide Effects in Obese Youth With Prediabetes/New Onset Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Semaglutide, 2.4mg, Once Weekly: Effects on Beta-cell Preservation and Reduction of Intrahepatic Triglyceride Content in Obese Youth With Prediabetes (IGT)/Early Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

The purpose of this study is to understand the role of GLP-1 in the pathogenesis of T2D in youth and explore their potential salutary effects and ability to delay the progressive loss of ß-cell function and reduce hepatic steatosis in youth with prediabetes/new onset T2D and NAFLD.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Obesity, Childhood; Impaired Glucose Tolerance; Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Semaglutide Pen Injector; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

In a recent publication by the TODAY Group Study, it was reported that "diabetes-related complications appear early in youth-onset T2D and accumulate rapidly at a mean age of 26.4 years," and 60.1% of participants developed at least one microvascular complication. The same has been reported in RISE Studies and was suggested that the rapid decline in β-cell function and its insensitivity to two of the most frequently used treatments for T2D in pediatrics is further aggravated by the rising prevalence in NAFLD. These alarming results indicate a pressing need for effective and innovative approaches at preserving β-cell function and reducing hepatic steatosis in obese youth in order to prevent disease progression and associated complications.

This study will provide mechanistic insights in support of a GLP-1 analog, Semaglutide, 2.4 mg weekly, therapy for prediabetes, new onset T2D and NAFLD in youth. The study design is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial (RCT) using Semaglutie (Wegovy up to 2.4mg) for 6 months followed by a wash-out period of 3 months.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06511
      • Pediatric Diabetes Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 years to 21 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria

• Subjects diagnosed with Pre-impaired glucose tolerance (pre-IGT) (2h glucose ≥ 130 mg/dl to ≤ 200 mg/dl post-OGTT) OR impaired glucose tolerance (2h glucose ≥140 to <200 mg/dl post-OGTT OR HbA1c ≥5.7% to <6.5%), OR new-onset T2D (≤24 months duration, 2h glucose >200 and HbA1c >6.5% to10%) treated with stable metformin dose (stable metformin dose is defined as at least 1000 mg daily or the maximum tolerated dose for 12 months or less)
• PDFF of ≥ 8%
• Male or female, aged 10 to <21 years at the day of randomization, in puberty (pubertal stage will be assessed by pediatric Endocrinologists Dr. Samuels and Dr. Hu) (girls and boys: Tanner stage II-IV); girls who begin menstruating must have a negative pregnancy test during the study
• Weight ≥ 54kg
• BMI ≥ 85% but ≤ 40 kg/m2
• Good general health (normal kidney function, amylase, and lipase levels)
• Informed consent from a legally acceptable representative (LAR) and child assent from the subject obtained before any trial-related activities (trial-related activities are any procedures that are carried out as part of the trial, including activities to determine suitability for the trial)
• Ability and willingness to adhere to the protocol including self-measurement of plasma glucose according to the protocol.

Exclusion Criteria

• Known or suspected hypersensitivity to trial product(s) or related products.
• Receipt of any investigational medicinal product within 30 days before screening.
• Prepubertal participants (Tanner stage 1)
• Female who is pregnant, breast-feeding or intends to become pregnant or is of childbearing potential and not using highly effective contraceptive methods.

• Having a diagnosis of:

  • Type 1 diabetes o Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) o History or presence of Pancreatitis (acute or chronic) o Presence of endocrinopathies (e.g., Cushing syndrome) o Cardiac, renal or pulmonary or other chronic illness o Known history of heart disease (including history of clinically significant arrhythmias or conduction delays on ECG, or new clinically significant arrhythmias or conduction delays on ECG identified at visit 1) o Family or personal history of MEN type 2 or medullary thyroid carcinoma (family is defined as a first-degree relative)o Any other disorder which, in the opinion of the investigator, might jeopardize subject's safety or compliance with the protocol

• Any laboratory safety parameter at screening outside the below extended laboratory ranges: o Baseline creatinine >1.0mg o Hypertriglyceridemia)(>500 mg/dl)

  • Calcitonin equal or above 50 ng/L at screening o Body Mass Index (BMI) ≤ 25.0 at the screening visit o ALT ≥5 times the upper normal limit (UNL) o Creatinine >UNL for age in children unless renal function is proven normal by further assessments at the discretion of the investigator
• Known hypoglycemic unawareness.
• Recurrent severe hypoglycemic episodes within the last year as judged by the investigator.
• Uncontrolled hypertension treated or untreated >99th percentile for age and gender in children and adolescents.
• Treatment with any medication for the indication of diabetes other than stated in the inclusion criteria in a period of 90 days before screening.
• Taking medication, based on the investigator's judgement, that may cause significant weight gain or loss (e.g., antipsychotic, steroid, anti-obesity medication).
• Presence or history of malignant neoplasm within 5 years prior to the day of screening.Basal and squamous cell skin cancer and any carcinoma in-situ is allowed.
• Positive insulinoma associated-protein 2 (IA-2) antibodies or anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies.

Mental health:

• History of major depressive disorder within 2 years before screening
• Diagnosis of other severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
• A Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score of ≥15 at screening
• A lifetime history of suicidal attempt
• Suicidal behavior within 30 days before screening
• Suicidal ideation corresponding to type 4 or 5 based on the Columbia-Suicide Severity
• Rating Scale (C-SSRS) within the past 30 days before screening
• Participants with confirmed diagnosis of bulimia nervosa disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Receive treatment; Semaglutide (Wegovy) pen is a subcutaneous injection	Drug: Semaglutide Pen Injector; Semaglutide (Wegovy) pen is a subcutaneous injection that contains 2.4mg/0.75mL of active ingredient. The injection pen can deliver doses of 0.24mg, 0.5mg, 1.0mg, 1.7mg, and 2.4mg.; Other Names: Wegovy
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; The placebo pen is almost exactly the same as the Wegovy subcutaneous injection except it does not contain the active ingredient, Semaglutide.	Drug: Placebo; Injection pen contains excipients.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Oral Disposition Index (oDI)	The oDI value is the product of total responsivity index and insulin sensitivity. The change in oDI from baseline to 6M on treatment is calculated as the difference between 6M oDI value and baseline oDI value. The oDI measures the ability of beta-cell to respond to a glucose stimulus.	Baseline and 6 months
Change in Protein Density Fat Fraction (PDFF)	The change in PDFF from baseline to 6M on treatment is calculated as the difference between 6M PDFF value and Baseline PDFF. It provides an accurate, non-invasive, reproducible, quantitative, and precise estimation of liver fat content. The expected changes in MRI-PDFF from baseline to 6M is ≥ 5.8% reduction compared to the placebo group.	Baseline and 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) derived biomarkers: oDI	Change in oDI from baseline to 9M after the wash-out period, calculated as the difference between 9M oDI value and baseline oDI value. This is similar to Outcome 1 except measured at 9M.	Baseline and 9 months
Change in OGTT derived biomarkers: fasting insulin	Change in fasting insulin calculated as 1/Fasting Insulin [1/IF] from baseline to 6M.	Baseline and 6 months
Change in OGTT derived biomarkers: fasting insulin	Change in fasting insulin calculated as 1/Fasting Insulin [1/IF] from baseline to 9M.	Baseline and 9 months
Change in OGTT derived biomarkers: c-peptide	Change in c-peptide from baseline to 6M calculated as [change in C-peptide from 0-30min] /[change in glucose from 0-30 min]. This computes for early c-peptide response to oral glucose.	Baseline and 6 months
Change in OGTT derived biomarkers: c-peptide	Change in c-peptide from baseline to 9M calculated as [change in C-peptide from 0-30min] /[change in glucose from 0-30 min]. This computes for early c-peptide response to oral glucose.	Baseline and 9 months
Change in OGTT derived biomarkers: fasting c-peptide	Change in fasting c-peptide from baseline to 6M calculated as Fasting C-peptide/Fasting Insulin.	Baseline and 6 months
Change in OGTT derived biomarkers: fasting c-peptide	Change in fasting c-peptide from baseline to 9M calculated as Fasting C-peptide/Fasting Insulin.	Baseline and 9 months
Time to glucose peak	Identification of time to glucose peak during OGTT at baseline.	Baseline
Time to glucose peak	Identification of time to glucose peak during OGTT at 6M.	6 months
Time to glucose peak	Identification of time to glucose peak during OGTT at 9M.	9 months
Glucagon levels	Identification of glucagon levels during OGTT at baseline.	Baseline
Glucagon levels	Identification of glucagon levels during OGTT at 6M.	6 months
Glucagon levels	Identification of glucagon levels during OGTT at 9M.	9 months
Incretin effect	Estimated as the ratio between total insulin responses during OGTT and IVGTT at the end of treatment and expressed as percentage. It is computed by: [100% × (AUCins OGTT - AUCins IVGTT)/AUCins OGTT].	6 months
Incretin effect	Estimated as the ratio between total insulin responses during OGTT and IVGTT at the end of the wash-out period and expressed as percentage. It is computed by: [100% × (AUCins OGTT - AUCins IVGTT)/AUCins OGTT].	9 months
Change in Protein Density Fat Fraction (PDFF)	The change in PDFF from baseline to 9M after the wash-out period is calculated as the difference between 9M PDFF value and Baseline PDFF. It provides an accurate, non-invasive, reproducible, quantitative, and precise estimation of liver fat content. The expected changes in MRI-PDFF from baseline to 9M is ≥ 5.8% reduction compared to the placebo group.	Baseline and 9 months
Fractional rates of de Novo Lipogenesis (DNL)	It is the measure of contribution of hepatic DNL and plasma free fatty acid reesterification to plasma triglyceride secretion at baseline. It is calculated by F = plasma palmitate enrichment/(22 X plasma deuterium enrichment). F is the fraction of palmitate synthesized during the time between the loading dose of the deuterium-labeled water and the collection time.	Baseline
Fractional rates of de Novo Lipogenesis (DNL)	It is the measure of contribution of hepatic DNL and plasma free fatty acid reesterification to plasma triglyceride secretion at 6M. It is calculated by F = plasma palmitate enrichment/(22 X plasma deuterium enrichment). F is the fraction of palmitate synthesized during the time between the loading dose of the deuterium-labeled water and the collection time.	6 months
Fractional rates of de Novo Lipogenesis (DNL)	It is the measure of contribution of hepatic DNL and plasma free fatty acid reesterification to plasma triglyceride secretion at 9M. It is calculated by F = plasma palmitate enrichment/(22 X plasma deuterium enrichment). F is the fraction of palmitate synthesized during the time between the loading dose of the deuterium-labeled water and the collection time.	9 months
Total cholesterol	Measure of total cholesterol in plasma taken at 6M.	6 months
Total cholesterol	Measure of total cholesterol in plasma taken at 9M.	9 months
LDL cholesterol	Measure of LDL cholesterol in plasma taken at 6M.	6 months
LDL cholesterol	Measure of LDL cholesterol in plasma taken at 9M.	9 months
HDL cholesterol	Measure of HDL cholesterol in plasma taken at 6M.	6 months
HDL cholesterol	Measure of LDL cholesterol in plasma taken at 9M.	9 months
Triglycerides	Measures of triglycerides in plasma taken at 6M.	6 months
Triglycerides	Measures of triglycerides in plasma taken at 9M.	9 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in liver fibrosis	Changes in fibrosis of the liver as measured by the difference between MRE Stiffness during baseline and 6M.	6 months
Changes in liver fibrosis	Changes in fibrosis of the liver as measured by the difference between MRE Stiffness during baseline and 9M.	9 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yale University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sonia Caprio, MD, Yale University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 17, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 21, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 23, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): October 5, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Prediabetes; Semaglutide; NAFLD; Impaired Glucose Tolerance
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Nutrition Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Digestive System Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Diabetes Mellitus; Liver Diseases; Overweight; Obesity; Hyperglycemia; Fatty Liver; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Pediatric Obesity; Prediabetic State; Glucose Intolerance; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Hypoglycemic Agents; semaglutide
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2000031181; 2R01DK111038-06A1 (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