Oxytocin for Weight Loss in Adolescents
Eligible age
10–18 yrs
Accepts
All genders
Locations
1 state
Healthy volunteers
No
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About this study
This is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of intranasal oxytocin in youths with obesity, ages 10-18 years old. Subjects will be randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (1 spray per nostril, 4 times per day) for 12 weeks. Study visits include screening to determine eligibility, 2-part main study visits at baseline, week 8, and week 12, and safety check-in visits at weeks 1, and 4; phone calls at weeks 2, 6, and 10, with a safety follow-up visit 6 weeks after the last dose of study drug. Study procedures include appetite, behavioral, metabolic, and endocrine assessments.
Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
You may qualify if…
- ✓ Males and Females, 10-18 years
- ✓ Obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile for age and gender)
- ✓ Willingness to maintain current diet and lifestyle for the duration of study participation
You may not qualify if…
- ✕ Current substance abuse
- ✕ Use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or dietary/herbal supplements that may affect weight if dose increased in the three months preceding the baseline visit and/or if they plan to increase the dose during the 18 weeks of study participation.
- ✕ Greater than 5kg weight loss over 3 months;
- ✕ Follows a nonstandard diet (e.g., Paleo, Atkins, raw diet, macrobiotic diet)
- ✕ Cardiovascular disease
- ✕ Prolonged QT interval
- ✕ Chronic inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory conditions
- ✕ Epilepsy
Where it's recruiting
Boston
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04551482 · last updated 2026-06-26