ESG vs GLP-1RA vs ESG + GLP-1RA in Patients With Obesity, NAFLD and Advanced Fibrosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Obesity Clinical Trial

Official title: Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) Versus Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1RA) Versus ESG + GLP-1RA in Patients With Obesity, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Advanced Fibrosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status Not yet recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMT) are a non-invasive, safe alternative treatment for patients with obesity. Current FDA- approved devices include intragastric balloons (IGB) and suturing devices for endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG). These gastric interventions work by interfering with how the stomach expands to accept and process a meal, which slows down how fast the stomach empties. ESG, the procedure the investigators are doing in this study, involves endoscopic suturing to reduce the length and width of the stomach so that the patient feels full faster. Semaglutide is a popular medication for weight loss, and has shown significant weight loss with a good safety profile in clinical trials.

In this study, the investigators will compare ESG, Semaglutide only, and an ESG + Semaglutide combination, on weight loss for subjects undergoing the procedure with a history of obesity, liver fibrosis and NAFLD. To better understand how these impact obesity and liver fibrosis, the investigators will track weight loss, laboratory values, liver stiffness, and the patients overall liver health.

The suturing device used in the ESG procedure and the semaglutide are all approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for endoscopic procedures in the upper gastrointestinal tract and medication management of obesity.

This is a study that will randomize patients to 1 of 3 different treatment options: ESG only, Semaglutide only or ESG + Semaglutide. The investigators want to see if adding the weight loss medication to the ESG procedure will increase weight loss and how it will impact liver health.

Clinical Trial Description

The National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and numerous other scientific organizations including the America Medical Association (AMA) recognize obesity as a chronic disease requiring primary therapy. More than one-third of United States adults are obese. The increasing prevalence of obesity in the U.S. has been accompanied by an increasing prevalence in its associated comorbid conditions including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, GERD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cancer. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and accounts for about 2.5 million preventable deaths annually. The economic consequences of obesity are enormous, and projected increases may threaten the integrity of our health care system. Recent analyses estimate that 147 to 210 billion dollars are spent annually to treat obesity-attributable medical problems in the United States, accounting for about 21% of health care expenditures.

Current treatment options for patients with obesity include lifestyle intervention, obesity pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery. The components of lifestyle intervention include diet, exercise, and behavior modification and should be considered the cornerstone of any obesity treatment. However, as a stand-alone therapy, even intensive lifestyle intervention is only modestly effective with an expected percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) < 3%. The available pharmacological approaches for the treatment of obesity increase weight loss by 3% to 9% compared with lifestyle therapy alone, but some can be associated with unfavorable side effects, significant cost, and weight loss achieved by pharmacotherapy is rarely maintained upon withdrawal of the medication.

The scientific literature is clear in showing that the magnitude of weight loss is strongly associated with improvement in obesity related co-morbidities such as diabetes, blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. The odds of clinically significant improvements in obesity related co-morbidities are much higher when %TBWL exceeds 10%. Bariatric surgery, such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy, can achieve significant and durable weight loss that exceeds the 10% TBWL threshold in the majority of patients; however, it is estimated that less than 1% of patients with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 40 kg/m₂) undergo surgical interventions given high costs, patient preference, access to care, and the morbidity and mortality associated with surgery. More importantly, the majority of patients with mild to moderate obesity (BMI 30-40 kg/m2) who do not qualify for bariatric surgery are left without an effective management approach to their disease, considering the modest effects seen with medications or lifestyle intervention alone and their ability to achieve >10%TBWL only in the minority of patients. Yet, according to the global disability-adjusted life-years and deaths study, patients with mild to moderate obesity are the highest contributors to the burden on disease both in terms or co-morbidities and overall mortality. Therefore, both government agencies (the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ]) and national societies (American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery [ASMBS], and American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy [ASGE]) now recognize that a significant management gap exists for patients with mild to moderate obesity (BMI between 30-40 kg/m2) and have defined safety and efficacy thresholds for endoscopic weight loss interventions to achieve societal recommendations. Recently the FDA has approved endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) such as intragastric balloons (IGB) for the management of obesity. These endoscopic therapies can achieve >10%TBWL in the majority of patients with excellent safety and lower cost (roughly one quarter of the cost of bariatric surgery). Furthermore, they are anatomy preserving, reversible, repeatable, and are thus well positioned to fill the gap in the management of obesity.

Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) is an endoscopic minimally invasive weight loss procedure where a commercially available, FDA approved, full-thickness endoscopic suturing device (Overstitch; Apollo Endosurgery, Austin, TX) is used to reduce the stomach volume by 80% through the creation of a restrictive endoscopic sleeve. This is accomplished by a series of endolumenally placed full-thickness sutures through the gastric wall, extending from the antrum to the gastroesophageal junction. The investigators currently perform this procedure as a standard of care, primary obesity treatment at BWH.

Semaglutide is an FDA approved GLP-1 receptor agonist for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and is used clinically for the medical management of diabetes and obesity. Phase-3 clinical trials have demonstrated the significant weight reduction capability of Semaglutide. Diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity are responsible for the pathological manifestations of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Observations from phase-3 clinical trials like SUSTAIN and PIONEER indicated the anti-obesity potential of semaglutide. Various pre-clinical and phase-2 studies have indicated the therapeutic potential of semaglutide in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Figure 1 shows the mechanism of semaglutide for management of obesity, NASH and neurodegenerative diseases. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Diabetes
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Fatty Liver
• Fibrosis
• Hypersensitivity
• Insulin Resistance
• Insulin Sensitivity
• Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance
• Liver Cirrhosis
• Liver Diseases
• Liver Fat
• Liver Fibrosis
• Metabolic Diseases
• NAFLD
• Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis
• Obesity
• Weight Loss

• NCT number: NCT06138821
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Contact: Michele Ryan, MS
• Phone: 6175258266
• Email: mryan@bwh.harvard.edu
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: July 2024
• Completion date: December 2025