Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT04599478

Pharmacological and Behavioral Treatment After Bariatric Surgery: Acute (Stage 1)

This study will compare the effectiveness of behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, alone and in combination, for the treatment of loss-of-control eating and weight following bariatric surgery. This is an acute treatment comparing behavioral weight loss alone or in combination with combination naltrexone/bupropion medication.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Notify Me

Key information

Age range

18 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2 / Phase 3

Primary location

Yale Department of Psychiatry

New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States

About this study

Participants who provide informed consent and are determined to be eligible will then participate in the study.

A total of 160 patients with obesity and regular LOC-eating following MBS will be randomly assigned (double-blind) in a balanced factorial (2 X 2) design, to one of four 16-week interventions: BWL+NB, BWL+Placebo, NB, or Placebo. The randomization will be in equal proportions but stratified by surgery type.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Be in the age range ≥18 years of age and ≤70 years of age.
  • Have a BMI ≥30 (or BMI ≥27 with a medical comorbidity) and ≤50
  • Have had laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy
  • Approximately six months post-surgery
  • Experience regular loss-of-control eating (defined as at least once weekly over the past 28 days)
  • Be an otherwise healthy subject without uncontrolled medical problems, as determined by the study physician and medical co-investigators (physical examination, laboratory studies).
  • Read, comprehend, and write English at a sufficient level to complete study-related materials.
  • Provide a signed and dated written informed consent prior to study participation.

Be available for participation in the study for up to 19 months (7-month treatment plus 12-month follow up).

Exclusion criteria

  • Has a predisposition to seizures (e.g., subject with a history or evidence of seizure disorder, febrile seizures during childhood, brain tumor, cerebrovascular disease, or significant head trauma; has a family history of idiopathic seizure disorder or is currently being treated with medications or treatment regimens that lower seizure threshold).
  • Has a history of anorexia nervosa or history of bulimia nervosa.
  • Is currently taking a medication that is a contraindication to NB medication (e.g., MAOI, opiates).
  • Is currently using other medications for weight loss.
  • Has a history of allergy or sensitivity to bupropion or naltrexone.
  • Has a co-existing psychiatric condition that requires hospitalization or more intensive treatment (such as bipolar mood disorders, psychotic illnesses, or severe depression)
  • Has untreated hypertension with a seated systolic blood pressure > 160 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg, or heart rate > 100 beats/minute.
  • Has a history of congenital heart disease, cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmias requiring medication, or a history of cerebrovascular pathology including stroke.
  • Has current uncontrolled hypertension.
  • Has current uncontrolled Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus.
  • Has untreated hypothyroidism with a TSH > 1.5 times the upper limit of normal for the test laboratory with repeat value that also exceeds this limit.
  • Has gallbladder disease.
  • Has a history of severe renal, hepatic, neurological, chronic pulmonary disease, or any other unstable medical disorder.
  • Has a recent history of drug or alcohol dependence (since having bariatric surgery).
  • Is currently in active treatment for eating or weight loss.
  • Is currently participating in another clinical study in which the subject is or will be exposed to an investigational or a non-investigational drug or device.
  • Is breast-feeding or is pregnant or is not using a reliable form of birth control.
  • Reports active suicidal or homicidal ideation.

Treatment and study plan

Naltrexone and Bupropion medication

Drug

NB medication will be taken daily in pill form.

Other names: Contrave

Behavioral weight loss

Behavioral

Behavioral Weight Loss (BWL) counseling includes weekly sessions.

Placebo

Other

Placebo will be inactive and taken daily in pill form.

Primary outcomes

  1. Loss-of-control Eating Frequency

    Time frame: Post-treatment (4 months)

    Loss-of-control eating frequency is a continuous variable of loss-of-control eating episodes assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination interview; Loss-of-control eating frequency will be based on the past 28 days and defined as loss-of-control eating episodes per month.

  2. Body Mass Index

    Time frame: Post-treatment (4 months)

    BMI is calculated using measured height and weight

Secondary outcomes

  1. Loss-of-control Eating Remission

    Time frame: Post-treatment (4 months)

    Categorical: zero episodes/28 days

  2. Weight loss

    Time frame: Post-treatment (4 months)

    Categorical: 5% weight loss

  3. Eating Disorder Psychopathology

    Time frame: Post-treatment (4 months)

    Eating-disorder psychopathology is a continuous variable as assessed by the global score of the Eating Disorder Examination/Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Scores range from 0-6 (0=no eating-disorder psychopathology; 6=severe eating-disorder psychopathology).

  4. Depressive Symptoms

    Time frame: Post-treatment (4 months)

    Depressive symptoms is a continuous variable of depressive symptomatology as assessed by the self-report measure, the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9. Scores range from 0-27 (0=no depressive symptoms, 27=greater depressive symptoms).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Registry information

Official study title

Pharmacological and Behavioral Treatments to Treat Loss-of-Control Eating and Improve Weight Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery: Acute (Stage 1)

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2027
First posted
Oct 22, 2020
Registry last updated
Mar 27, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.