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NCT04986631CompletedEarly phase 1

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Topiramate for Weight Loss in Youth: PHARMATOP

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 24 Aug 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Pediatric severe obesity is the fastest growing obesity category in the United States, and anti-obesity pharmacotherapies are promising adjuncts to lifestyle modification (LSM) for the treatment of this disease. While anti-obesity pharmacotherapies have overall been associated with mean weight loss, there is substantial variability in their individual-level effectiveness. While some patients lose a significant amount of weight with anti-obesity pharmacotherapies, others lose little or even gain weight. Due to this well-recognized variability in individual-level response, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recognized the importance of using precision medicine approaches in order to optimize treatments for pediatric severe obesity. Pharmacometrics, which uses mathematical models to study medication dose-exposure (i.e. blood drug concentrations)-response relationships, is an emerging science that can help determine optimal dosing regimens based upon patient-specific characteristics. Pharmacometrics quantitates the interplay between pharmacokinetics (PK; drug dose-exposure associations) and pharmacodynamics (PD; drug exposure-response associations). Population PK (popPK), a type of PK, can be used to quantitate variability in drug exposure among individuals in order to help inform recommendations on therapeutic individualization (e.g. through tailored dosing). In this study, investigators will use popPK/PD modeling to characterize associations between anti-obesity pharmacotherapy dose, exposure, and changes in weight and weight-related outcomes in youth with severe obesity. This study will focus on topiramate because this medication is commonly prescribed for weight loss in youth with severe obesity and has been associated with highly variable individual-level effectiveness.

Status (registry)
Completed
Phase (registry)
Early phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
65 (actual)
First submitted
16 Jul 2021
Start date
4 Apr 2022
Primary completion date
26 Sept 2024
Lead sponsor
University of Minnesota
Diseases
Obesity
NCT number
NCT04986631

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional · Early phase 1
  • Participants enrolled: 65
  • From 4 Apr 2022 to the primary completion date, 26 Sept 2024
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study design.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Current or recent (\< 6 months prior to enrollment) use of anti-obesity medication(s) defined as orlistat, phentermine, topiramate, combination phentermine/topiramate, liraglutide (or other glucagon-like peptide (GLP1-RA)), and/or combination naltrexone/bupropion (monotherapy use of naltrexone or bupropion is not an exclusion), unless participant has been on stable doses for \>/= 6 months. Of note, if phentermine was increased from 15 mg daily to 18.75 mg daily during this period, it is not considered a dose increase.
  • Current or recent (\< 6 months prior to enrollment) use of medication(s) associated with weight gain (e.g. oral steroids, anti-psychotics), unless participant has been on stable doses of such medication(s) for ≥ 6 months
  • Current or recent (\< 6 months prior to enrollment) use of long-acting stimulant medications, unless participant has been on stable doses of such medication for ≥ 6 months. In terms of short-acting ADHD stimulant medications, the PI will determine eligibility based on weight and dose (no studies have shown this contributes to weight outcomes)

Other illness

  • History of metabolic/bariatric surgery
  • Obesity associated with a diagnosed genetic disorder (i.e. monogenic obesity, Prader-Willi, Bardet-Biedl syndrome)
  • History of acute angle closure glaucoma. Individuals with other types of glaucoma will need approval from the participant's ophthalmologist to be enrolled.
  • History of nephrolithiasis
  • History of seizures (aside from febrile seizures)
  • Major psychiatric disorder as determined by local medical monitor
  • History of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa
  • History of suicide attempt within the last year
    • \* History of active suicidal ideation or self-harm within the past 30 days

Lab values

  • Baseline bicarbonate \< 18 mmol/L
  • Baseline creatinine \> 1.2 mg/dL

Other

  • Clinically diagnosed hyperthyroidism or uncontrolled hypothyroidism as determined by local medical monitor (who is a board certified endocrinologist)
  • Females: pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or, if sexually active, unwilling to use 2+ acceptable contraceptive methods during the study period

Who the study is looking for

  • Body mass index (BMI) \</= 1.2 times the 95th percentile (age and sex-adjusted) and/or BMI \>/= 35 kg/m2
  • Ages 12 to \< 18 years old
  • Deemed appropriate candidates to receive topiramate (without contraindications) for weight loss by an obesity medicine specialist at the University of Minnesota

Age in the registry: 12 years to 18 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Save your city in your profile to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
University of Minnesota
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MinneapolisUnited StatesUnknown status

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.