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Condition (MeSH)

Weight Loss

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2,058 trials for Weight Loss or a narrower condition beneath it.

MeSH D015431 Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms C23
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Phase 1 Phase 1 74 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 22 Phase 2 Phase 2 139 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 29 Phase 3 Phase 3 90 Phase 4 Phase 4 82 Not applicable Not applicable 1,335 Observational Observational 285 Phase 1 Phase 1 74 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 22 Phase 2 Phase 2 139 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 29 Phase 3 Phase 3 90 Phase 4 Phase 4 82 Not applicable Not applicable 1,335 Observational Observational 285

Trials per phase (log scale)

1 more section with rows

1,783 of the 2,058 trials are tagged with Weight Loss itself; the rest are tagged with a narrower condition beneath it.

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The PDF carries up to 50 rows of each section, where the page shows the first few, with the sources listed. Enter a work email and confirm it from the message we send, and the report follows by email.

When did Weight Loss trials start? (32)

Shown in this order: most recent first, 1990 onwards. 2026 is partial: trials registered with a 2026 start date so far, not a full year. 5 trials are registered to start in 2027 or later, and not listed here.

Trials over time, by phase

  • Phase 1
  • Phase 1/2
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 2/3
  • Phase 3
  • Phase 4
  • Not applicable
  • Observational
  • Other (Unknown)

Top of scale: 125

1995: 1 trials (Not applicable 1) 1996: 1 trials (Observational 1) 1997: 2 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 2 1) 1998: 4 trials (Observational 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 1) 1999: 7 trials (Not applicable 4, Phase 3 1, Phase 1/2 2) 2000: 8 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 1, Phase 1 2) 2001: 7 trials (Not applicable 3, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 1, Phase 2 2) 2002: 17 trials (Not applicable 10, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 2, Phase 1 1) 2003: 23 trials (Not applicable 10, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 4, Phase 1/2 3) 2004: 34 trials (Observational 2, Not applicable 17, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 1, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 6, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 1) 2005: 37 trials (Observational 4, Not applicable 13, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 9, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 4) 2006: 43 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 20, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 8, Phase 2 2, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 3) 2007: 59 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 36, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 1, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 2) 2008: 61 trials (Observational 11, Not applicable 31, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 5) 2009: 68 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 42, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 4, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 3) 2010: 67 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 46, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 5, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 1, Phase 1 3) 2011: 66 trials (Observational 6, Not applicable 37, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 8, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 7, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 2) 2012: 89 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 60, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 8, Phase 1 2) 2013: 77 trials (Observational 11, Not applicable 54, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 5, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 1) 2014: 83 trials (Observational 11, Not applicable 53, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 6, Phase 1 4) 2015: 96 trials (Observational 11, Not applicable 72, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 4, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 2) 2016: 97 trials (Observational 15, Not applicable 73, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 3, Phase 1 1) 2017: 106 trials (Other 1, Observational 14, Not applicable 78, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 6, Phase 1 2) 2018: 109 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 82, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 2, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 2) 2019: 102 trials (Observational 9, Not applicable 81, Phase 4 4, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 1, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 1) 2020: 83 trials (Observational 17, Not applicable 57, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 1, Phase 1 4) 2021: 105 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 80, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 4, Phase 1 4) 2022: 113 trials (Observational 20, Not applicable 75, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 5, Phase 1 3) 2023: 116 trials (Other 1, Observational 19, Not applicable 81, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 5, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 2) 2024: 111 trials (Observational 19, Not applicable 73, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 3, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 6, Phase 1 2) 2025: 125 trials (Observational 22, Not applicable 67, Phase 4 9, Phase 3 6, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 8)

Trials registered with a start date in each year, 1990 onward, stacked by phase (complete years only; the current partial year is in the table's notes). The table below lists the same counts, most recent years first.

Trials started per year
Year Trials started
2026 (partial year) 121
2025 125
2024 111
2023 116
2022 113
2021 105
2020 83
2019 102
2018 109
2017 106

Showing 10 of 32 earlier years.

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Forecast of the full-year count, planned starts included, not rows of this table: about 140 trials starting in 2026 and about 130 in 2027, the average of the 24 months through September, counted as registered and carried forward. The rows of this table count trials registered so far with a start date in the year, planned starts included; the forecast looks ahead to the count for the whole year, so it is not the same measure. In backtests on conditions of this size, forecasts made part-way through the year were typically off by about 13 percent and ran about 12 percent low against the count later registered; forecasts made before the year began were off by about 19 percent and ran about 17 percent low against the count later registered, and had about the same error as repeating last year's count. These figures rest on a few years of history (target years from 2018 to 2025, varying by figure), place each condition as it is mapped today rather than as it was then, and score against a count for the newest year that was still being revised. Only condition series were scored.

Prediction, not a registry value: median of 36 months from start to primary completion across 206 trials still running at the 2026-10-09 snapshot; registered median of 22 months across 1,374 trials with a primary completion typed Actual. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov / AACT (CTTI), public domain.

What phase are Weight Loss trials in? (9)

Shown in this order: phase order.

Show the trials by phase as a table
Trials by phase
Phase Trials
Phase 1 74
Phase 1/2 22
Phase 2 139
Phase 2/3 29
Phase 3 90
Phase 4 82
Not applicable 1,335
Observational 285
Unknown 2

How many Weight Loss trials are recruiting? (9)

Shown in this order: the order a trial moves through, from not yet recruiting to unknown.

Trials by recruitment status
Status Trials
Not yet recruiting 80
Recruiting 215
Enrolling by invitation 12
Active, not recruiting 90
Completed 1,305

Showing 5 of 9 statuses.

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Status as registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial is counted once.

Which lead sponsors run the most Weight Loss trials? (2)

Shown in this order: most trials first. Lead sponsors the registry classes as industry, NIH, US federal, other government or network. A hospital or university the registry files as government can appear here. Sponsors it classes as academic or other are shown on the full page, because that class cannot separate an institution from a named investigator.

Lead sponsors
Sponsor Trials
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) 21
VA Office of Research and Development 21

Which drugs are being tested for Weight Loss? (5)

Shown in this order: most trials first. One row per drug, matched to a single molecule under all its names, ranked by number of trials.

Drugs tested
Drug Trials
Semaglutide 17
TIRZEPATIDE 14
LIRAGLUTIDE 11
Anamorelin HCl 9
Exenatide 7

Interventions as named in the registry (10)

Shown in this order: most trials first.

Interventions as named in the registry
Drug Trials
Weight loss 38
Exercise 31
Diet 15
Megstrol Acetate 14
Standard Care 11

Showing 5 of 10 interventions.

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These are the names sponsors entered on ClinicalTrials.gov that we have not matched to a single molecule. Some are drugs under a brand or code name; others are procedures, doses or arm labels.

Which serious adverse events do Weight Loss trials report? (10)

Shown in this order: most subjects affected first. Subjects affected summed across trials, a cross-trial signal, not a rate.

Serious adverse events in this condition's trials
Adverse event Subjects affected Trials
All Fractures 860 1
Severe hypoglycemia 237 1
Congestive Heart Failure 155 3
Cardiovascular 110 3
Neoplasm progression 107 4

Showing 5 of 10 adverse events.

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Which publications cover Weight Loss? (5,717)

Shown in this order: major-topic papers first, then newest, then most linked to trials.

Publications
Publication Journal Year Major topic
Human Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria Responses to Weight Loss Induced by Bariatric Surgery or Lifestyle Intervention. Acta physiologica (Oxford, England) 2026 Yes
One Year of Exercise After Weight Loss Increases Postprandial GLP-1 Secretion in Contrast to Usual Activity or GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 2026 Yes
Does loneliness impact intentional weight loss? The role of obesity-related disadvantages and comorbidities. Preventive medicine 2026 Yes
Dietary patterns and change in food consumption in overweight or obese breast cancer survivors: the InForma randomized intervention trial. Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD 2026 Yes
Association Between Wake-Time Movement Behaviors and Weight Loss Maintenance. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 2026 Yes

Showing 5 of 5,717 publications.

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Sub-conditions in MeSH (2)

MeSH descendants one level down with at least one trial, most trials first.

Not on this page

Not measured: delivery record.

Checked, with nothing recorded for this condition: prevalence and rare-disease identity.

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