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How to find a GLP-1 clinical trial for weight loss

Updated Sep 28, 2026. Numbers in brackets link to the source each fact comes from.

Search ClinicalTrials.gov, the public database the National Institutes of Health sends people to, and read each study record before you contact anyone [3]. The NIH’s diabetes and digestive disease institute runs and funds obesity trials, including studies of new medicines for losing weight and keeping it off [1] [2]. Joining one can mean getting a placebo instead of the drug, so it is not a free route to a GLP-1; it is a research commitment.

Step 1: start with the NIH’s ready-made list

The NIDDK links to a filtered ClinicalTrials.gov list of obesity and overweight studies that are federally funded and recruiting now: open NIH-funded obesity studies. You can widen it to studies run by drug companies, universities and individuals, but the NIH does not review those and cannot vouch for their safety [3].

ClinicalTrials.gov searches separate fields for the condition or disease, the intervention or treatment, and the location [4] [5] [6]. A simple approach:

  • Condition: obesity, or overweight.
  • Intervention: the medicine’s name, such as semaglutide, tirzepatide or orforglipron.
  • Location: your city or ZIP code, so you only see sites you can reach.
  • Status: keep only studies that are recruiting.

Read each result’s title and summary to confirm the study actually tests the medicine you searched for, rather than just mentioning it. To skip the typing, use the state-by-state links further down.

Step 3: read the study record

  • Who can join. Every study sets its own rules [21]. Inclusion criteria are what you must have, and exclusion criteria are what rules you out, such as certain conditions or medicines [14] [15]. Being turned down by one study does not necessarily mean another will turn you down [16].
  • Study type. Observational studies watch and measure but do not give a drug [22]. If you want to receive a medicine, look for a clinical trial of a drug.
  • Phase. This tells you how far along the drug is:
Phase What it does Typical size
Phase 1 Tests safety, side effects and dose [10] about 20 to 80 people [10]
Phase 2 Checks whether the drug works [11] about 100 to 300 people [11]
Phase 3 Confirms safety and effectiveness, often against other treatments [12] several hundred to a few thousand people [12]
Phase 4 Follows a drug after FDA approval [13] large, varied groups [13]
  • Placebo or control group. In many trials you are assigned by chance to the treatment group or a control group, and the control group does not get the drug being tested [9].
  • Visits and length. Check how long the study lasts and how often you would need to be at the study site.

Step 4: contact the study team, and tell your own clinician

The study’s contact details are usually in its description, and you or your doctor can call the research staff with questions [7]. The NIA also suggests telling your own health care provider, who may want to check with the research team that the study is safe for you [8]. Most people can be in only one clinical trial at a time [16].

Questions worth asking before you sign up, drawn from the NIA’s list:

  • What are the chances I get the drug rather than a placebo? [9]
  • Will it cost me anything, and will you pay travel or parking costs? [17]
  • What will my insurance be asked to pay? [23]
  • Will I keep getting the treatment after the study ends? [18]

What protects you

If you agree to join, you sign an informed consent form that explains what to expect and what could happen [19]. In the US, a trial of an FDA-regulated drug, or one funded or run by the federal government, must have an institutional review board [20]. That board is an independent committee of physicians, statisticians and community members [24].

Find a trial by state

Each link below opens a ClinicalTrials.gov search for one state. “GLP-1 drug studies” looks for obesity studies whose treatment field names GLP-1 or one of these drugs: semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, orforglipron, retatrutide, survodutide, maridebart cafraglutide, zenagamtide or cagrilintide. “All obesity studies” drops the drug filter. Both use the site’s condition, intervention and location search fields and keep only studies that are recruiting or not yet recruiting [4] [5] [6] [25].

The results change as studies open and close, and a small state can show none on a given day. If yours is empty, try a neighboring state, or search by your city or ZIP code as described above. A study that lists your state may have only one site there, so check the locations in the record before you call. Drugs still in testing are covered in GLP-1 drugs still in trials.

If what you really want is an affordable GLP-1

A trial is research, not a pharmacy. If cost is the reason you are looking, compare the approved options first: see what each GLP-1 is approved for, the price table, and the makers’ patient assistance programs.

Sources

  1. NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including overweight and obesity. niddk.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  2. new medicines that could help people with obesity lose weight and keep it off niddk.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  3. You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on overweight or obesity that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at ClinicalTrials.gov. You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe. Always talk with your health care provider before you participate in a clinical study. niddk.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  4. "Conditions or disease" query in [Essie expression syntax] clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  5. "Intervention / treatment" query in [Essie expression syntax] clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  6. "Location terms" query in [Essie expression syntax] clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  7. After you find one or more studies that you are interested in, the next step is for you or your doctor to contact the study research staff and ask questions. You can usually find contact information in the description of the study. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  8. Let your health care provider know if you are thinking about joining a clinical trial. Your provider may want to talk to the research team to make sure the study is safe for you and to help coordinate your care. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  9. For some trials testing an intervention, you are assigned by chance (randomly) to a treatment group or a control group . The treatment group will get the intervention being tested, and the control group will not. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  10. A Phase 1 trial tests an experimental drug or device on a small group of people (around 20 to 80) to judge its safety, including any side effects, and to test the amount (dosage). nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  11. A Phase 2 trial includes more people (around 100 to 300) to help determine whether a drug is effective. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  12. A Phase 3 trial gathers additional information from several hundred to a few thousand people about safety and effectiveness, studying different populations and different dosages, and comparing the intervention with other drugs or treatment approaches. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  13. A Phase 4 trial takes place after the FDA approves the drug or device. The treatment’s effectiveness and safety are monitored in large, diverse populations. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  14. To be eligible to participate, you may need to have certain characteristics, called inclusion criteria. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  15. Participants with certain characteristics may not be allowed to participate in some trials. These characteristics are called exclusion criteria. They include factors such as specific health conditions or medications that could interfere with the treatment being tested. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  16. Generally, you can participate in only one clinical trial at a time, although this is not necessarily the case for observational studies. Different trials have different criteria, so being excluded from one trial does not necessarily mean you will be excluded from another. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  17. Will it cost me anything to be in the trial or study? If so, will I be reimbursed for expenses, such as travel, parking, lodging, or meals? nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  18. Will I continue receiving the treatment after the trial or study ends? nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  19. Once you agree to participate, you sign an informed consent form indicating your understanding about what to expect as a participant and the various outcomes that could occur. nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  20. In the United States, a clinical trial must have an IRB if it is studying a drug, biological product, or medical device that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates, or it is funded or carried out by the federal government. medlineplus.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  21. Each study has its own rules about who can take part. Some studies need volunteers with a certain disease. Some need healthy people. medlineplus.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  22. Observational studies do not test a medical intervention, such as a drug or device, but may help identify new treatments or prevention strategies to test in clinical trials nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  23. Will my insurance pay for costs not covered by the research, or must I pay out of pocket? If I don’t have insurance, am I still eligible to participate? nia.nih.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  24. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews, monitors, and approves many clinical trials. It is an independent committee of physicians, statisticians, and members of the community. medlineplus.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  25. Filter by comma- or pipe-separated list of statuses clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.

This page reports what official sources say; it is not medical advice. Medical disclaimer.