At a glance
- What the study gets you
- Access to the study treatment being tested
- Type of study
- Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
- Time in hospital
- In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
- Drug or intervention
- Setmelanotide (drug), Placebo (drug)
- How long the study runs
- Study runs about 30 months (dates as stated)
- About the drug or intervention
- Setmelanotide — drug: Solution for daily subcutaneous injection · Placebo — drug: Placebo matched to setmelanotide for daily subcutaneous injection
- Patient visit burden
- Not specified by the sponsor
In plain English
This trial is testing a medicine called setmelanotide in people aged 4 and over with hypothalamic obesity — weight gain caused by damage to a part of the brain that controls hunger. This includes people with certain pituitary or eye-related conditions present from birth. It is a sub-study of a larger trial and is run by Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Who can take part
- Aged 4 years or older
- Diagnosed with one of these conditions: multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD), septo-optic dysplasia (SOD), optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), childhood-onset combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD), or pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) with at least one pituitary deficiency
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more if aged 18 or over, or a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex if aged 4 to under 18
- Weight gain linked to the hypothalamic injury
- Agree to use a highly effective form of contraception during the study and for 90 days afterwards
- If taking hormone replacement therapy, the dose must have stayed the same for at least 2 months before screening
Who may not be able to
- Diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) or ROHHADNET (rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic, autonomic dysregulation, neuroendocrine tumour syndrome)
- Weight loss of more than 2% in the last 3 months (adults), or a BMI drop of more than 2% (children aged 4 to under 18)
- Weight-loss (bariatric) surgery or procedure in the last 2 years
- Severe psychiatric disorders, or any suicidal thoughts, attempts or behaviour
- Current serious lung, heart, metabolic or cancer-related illness
- Skin findings linked to melanoma or pre-melanoma skin lesions (apart from non-invasive basal or squamous cell lesions)
- Personal history, or close family history, of skin cancer or melanoma
- Taken part in a trial of an investigational drug or device in the last 3 months
- Previous enrolment in a setmelanotide trial or any past exposure to setmelanotide
- Unable to follow a once-daily injection routine
- Pregnant and/or breastfeeding
What taking part involves
- • Taking setmelanotide as a once-daily injection
- • Using highly effective contraception throughout the study and for 90 days after
Time commitment: Not stated — ask the trial team (the data does not say how long the study lasts or how many visits are needed).
Plain-English summary (AI-generated) from registry data. Not eligibility advice — only the trial team can confirm whether you can take part. Use the eligibility checker to see how your health profile matches this trial.
- Type of study
- Testing a treatment
- Ages
- 4 Years and over
- Who
- All
- Number of participants
- 39
- Started
- 2025-09-23
- Last checked
- 2026-02
Plain English Summary
What is this study?
- • Testing a new treatment for hypothalamic obesity
- • Phase3 - 39 participants
- • This is a sub-study of Study RM-493-040 (NCT05774756)
Who can take part?
- • Ages 4 Years and over
- • Diagnosed with hypothalamic obesity
Where?
- • London - UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
- • Birmingham - Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital NHS Trust
- • Hull - Hull Royal Infirmary
This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.
About This Trial
This is a sub-study of Study RM-493-040 (NCT05774756). The goal of this sub-study is to learn how well Setmelanotide works to improve weight reduction, hunger, and quality of life in patients 4 years of age and older with congenital Hypothalamic Obesity (cHO). To determine how well setmelanotide works and how safe it is, patients with cHO will take a daily injection of either setmelanotide or placebo and complete trial assessments for up to 26 weeks on a therapeutic regimen.
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
Still need:
- • Tell us your age for better matching
- • Tell us your sex for better matching
Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key info
- Age: 4 Years and over
- Who can join: All genders
What the study is looking for
- ✓Age 4 years and older
- ✓Weight gain associated with the hypothalamic injury and a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2 for patients ≥18 years of age or BMI...
- ✓Agree to use a highly effective form of contraception throughout the study and for 90 days after the study
Who cannot take part
- ✗Diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) or Rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic, autonomic...
- ✗Weight loss \>2% in the previous 3 months for patients aged ≥18 years or \>2% reduction in BMI for patients aged 4...
- ✗Bariatric surgery or procedure within last 2 years
- ✗Diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorders; any suicidal ideation, attempt or behavior
- ✗Current, clinically significant lung, heart, metabolic, or oncologic disease
See the full criteria
Where Is This Study? (3 UK sites)
UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
Main Email: Research.Governance@gosh.nhs.uk
Research.Governance@gosh.nhs.uk0207 905 2700Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital NHS Trust
Birmingham B46NH, United Kingdom
Hull Royal Infirmary
Hull HU32RW, United Kingdom
James Illingworth
hyp-tr.development.research@nhs.net01482 461883 or 461903How to Get in Touch
Rhythm Clinical Trials
Sponsor contactCONTACT
Physician Inquiry Clinical Trials
Sponsor contactCONTACT
