An Open-Label Tirzepatide Trial for Comorbid Obesity and Stimulant Use Disorder (TRI-MR)

An Open-Label Tirzepatide Trial for Comorbid Obesity and Stimulant Use Disorder Using fMRI to Identify Novel Neural Biomarkers

This open label pilot study will assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of tirzepatide which will be prescribed under its FDA approved weight management indication in adults with moderate or severe methamphetamine, cocaine or prescription stimulant use disorder (MUD) who also meet criteria for obesity or overweight with comorbidities. Up to 30 participants will receive 20 weeks of once weekly tirzepatide, followed by an observational follow up period.

The study also incorporates MRI at seven time points to explore neural biomarkers associated with treatment response. All participants will receive 12 weeks of contingency management (CM) combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Together, these pharmacologic, neuroimaging, and behavioral components will evaluate tirzepatide's potential to improve health and substance use outcomes in individuals with MUD.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Obesity; Methamphetamine Use Disorder; Cocaine Use Disorder; Stimulant Use Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Tirzepatide

Detailed Description

This is a phase two, open-label study to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of using tirzepatide when prescribed for its United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved weight-related indication as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of: 1) 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity) or 2) 27kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease) in individuals with comorbid moderate/severe methamphetamine, cocaine, or prescription stimulant use disorder. The study will screen up to 45 individuals and enroll up to N=30 individuals with moderate/severe methamphetamine, cocaine or prescription stimulant use disorder who meet FDA-approved weight-related indication of tirzepatide for a 20-week-long, once-weekly treatment with tirzepatide (dose optimized for each individual, with a minimum of 5mg/week after week-4) that will be followed by an observational follow-up period (Weeks 24, 28 and 32) after the last dose of tirzepatide. In addition, all participants will undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including structural and functional (fMRI) scans, at screening and baseline, as well as at Weeks 6, 20, 24, 28, and 32, for a total of seven scans over the course of the trial. The screening scan may be completed same day as the screening visit or scheduled on another day based on scanner availability. Participants will also receive 12 weekly contingency management (CM) in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) during the 12 weeks. These combined measures will provide us with a comprehensive evaluation of tirzepatide and its potential impact on behavior and brain function/patterns in individuals with moderate/severe methamphetamine, cocaine, and stimulant use disorder.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 45
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Teresa Slettebo, B.A.; Phone Number: (214) 998-5649; Email: Teresa.Slettebo@UTSouthwestern.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Virgilio Garza, B.S.; Phone Number: (682) 376-8622; Email: Virgilio.Garza@UTSouthwestern.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75247
      • UT Southwestern Medical Center
      • Contact: Teresa Slettebo, B.A.; Phone Number: (214) 998-5649; Email: Teresa.Slettebo@UTSouthwestern.edu
      • Contact: Virgilio Garza, B.S.; Phone Number: 6823768622; Email: Virgilio.Garza@UTSouthwestern.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Manish Jha, M.B.B.S.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be 18 to 65 years of age, inclusive.
2. Be able to provide informed consent and ask relevant questions.
3. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study.
4. Be willing to adhere to the study medication regimen
5. Meet DSM-5 criteria for moderate or severe methamphetamine, cocaine or prescription stimulant use disorder.
6. Self-report methamphetamine, cocaine or prescription stimulant use on 18 or more days in the 30-day period prior to written informed consent using the Timeline Followback (TLFB).

7. Have an initial body mass index (BMI) at screening of:

   1. 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity)
   2. 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease).

8. If biologically female and is or becomes sexually active with a biological male, must agree to use acceptable methods of contraception and have urine pregnancy testing during participation in the study, unless unable to get pregnant

   a. Appropriate birth control methods include: i. Oral contraceptives, contraceptive patch, hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring (with restrictions related to dose change given the medication interactions between tirzepatide and oral contraceptives).

   ii. Barrier (diaphragm or condom) iii. Contraceptive implant iv. Medroxyprogesterone acetate injection v. Intra-uterine device vi. Complete abstinence from sexual intercourse vii. Surgical sterilization

9. Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle Considerations throughout study duration

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Current or recent use (within 3 months prior to consent) of other tirzepatide-containing products or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist
2. Current or recent use (within 30 days) of sulfonylureas, other concomitantly administered insulin secretagogue, or insulin
3. Current or recent use (within 3 months prior to consent) of other weight loss agents
4. Weight loss surgery within 12 months prior to consent
5. Current eating disorder per clinician evaluation
6. Personal or family history of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
7. History of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2
8. Known serious hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis, angioedema) to tirzepatide or any of the excipients in tirzepatide
9. History of angioedema or anaphylaxis with a GLP-1 receptor agonist
10. Current Stage 3 or higher Chronic Kidney Disease, defined as eGFR <60 at Screening
11. Current inadequately controlled diabetes, defined as HbA1c > 7.0 at Screening
12. History of diabetic retinopathy
13. Current pregnancy or lactation
14. Treatment with another investigational drug or intervention within the past one month (30 days prior to consent)
15. Have any condition for which study participation would not be in their best interest (e.g., cognitive impairment, unstable general medical condition, intoxication, active psychosis) or that could prevent, limit, or confound the protocol-specified assessments, in the opinion of the investigator or their designee.
16. Require immediate hospitalization for psychiatric disorder or suicidal risk as assessed by a licensed study clinician.
17. Any contraindications to MRI, including pacemakers or metallic objects in the body.
18. Any claustrophobia or other conditions which may result in inability to lie still in the MRI scanner for 1 hour or more.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Arm/Group; Eligible participants who are enrolled will receive once-weekly subcutaneous injections of tirzepatide for a 20-week period in accordance with FDA-prescribing label guidelines.

Drug: Tirzepatide; Following the instructions of the FDA-approved prescribing label, participants will receive the tirzepatide injection subcutaneously in either the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm once weekly for 20 weeks total. Following the instructions of the FDA-approved prescribing label, the dosing schedule will include a 4-week titration at a starting dosage of 2.5mg/week. After four weeks, dosage will be increased in 2.5mg increments, per prescribing label for tirzepatide. The recommended maintenance dosages per prescribing label are 5/mg/week, 10mg/week, or 15mg/week injected subcutaneously. Maximum dosage (up to 10mg/week) will be optimized for each individual. The 20-week treatment period will include initial 4-week of 2.5mg/week, followed by 16-week long once-weekly treatment with tirzepatide at a minimum dose of 5 mg/week (higher doses up to 10 mg/week as tolerated), that will be followed by an observational follow-up period every 4 weeks after week 20.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Effect of tirzepatide on self-reported use of stimulants	Self-reported use of stimulants will be assessed through Timeline Followback. The Timeline Followback procedure will be used to elicit the participant's self-reported use of illicit substances, including but not limited to stimulants, and polysubstance use starting at the Screening Visit and continuing throughout study participation. During the Screening Visit, this form will be used to assess illicit use of substances for the 30-day period prior to written consent. During the study, TLFB will be administered to document the participant's self-reported use of illicit substances, nicotine, and tobacco for each visit since the previous TLFB assessment. Participant's drug of choice will be asked and determined by study coordinator and recorded along with the TLFB assessment.	32 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in body mass index from baseline to the end of the 20-week treatment phase	Body mass index will be calculated using measurements of height and weight.	20 weeks
Feasibility of using tirzepatide in individuals with Stimulant Use Disorder	Feasibility will be defined as the number of participants who receive a dose of tirzepatide of at least a 5mg/week for at least four weeks.	20 weeks
Changes in High-sensitivity C-reative protein (hs-CRP) levels from baseline to the end of the 20-week treatment phase	Clinical laboratory assessments for High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HsCRP) test will be performed to help determine eligibility at screening and monitor participant's overall health condition.	20 weeks
Changes in gastrointestinal symptom severity from baseline until the end of the 20-week treatment phase	Gastrointestinal symptom severity will be assessed by the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS): a disease-specific instrument of 15 items combined into five symptom clusters depicting Reflux, Abdominal pain, Indigestion, Diarrhea and Constipation. The GSRS scale is graded on a seven-point Likert-type scale where a lower score (1) represents less symptom severity and highest score (7) represents greater symptom severity.	20 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Manish Jha, M.B.B.S., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2030
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: MRI; Obesity; Overweight; Cocaine; Stimulants; Methamphetamine; Weight management; MUD; Tirzepatide
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Overweight; Obesity; Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins; Proteins; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; Glucagon-Like Peptide Receptors; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Receptors, Cell Surface; Membrane Proteins; Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone; Receptors, Peptide; Tirzepatide
• Other Study ID Numbers: STU-2026-0206

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: No individual participant data is planned to be shared with other researchers.

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.: Yes