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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Efficacy and Safety of Phentermine/Topiramate in Youth With Hypothalamic Obesity

Phentermine/Topiramate in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With Hypothalamic Obesity: a Pilot and Feasibility Study

Efficacy and Safety of Phentermine/Topiramate in Youth With Hypothalamic Obesity (NCT06299891) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Hypothalamic Obesity and Hypothalamic Tumor, sponsored by Seattle Children's Hospital. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

Hypothalamic obesity (HO) refers to the substantial weight gain that often complicates hypothalamic brain tumors. Children with this treatment-recalcitrant form of obesity have excess rates of metabolic sequelae compared to otherwise healthy children with similar obesity, and later experience excess mortality related to cardiometabolic disease. In this pilot trial, our objective is to gather key preliminary data about phentermine/topiramate (Ph/T) that is FDA-approved for "common" obesity but has never been tested in HO. The subset of individuals with HO who experience hyperphagia or excess daytime sleepiness may benefit from the Ph/T-induced decrease in appetite and increase in alertness. Preliminary assessments of safety, adverse events, dosing (Aim 1), as well as of efficacy (% BMI loss, Aim 2) will be made in a 28-week parallel-arm double-blinded Phase 2 placebo-controlled clinical trial in 6-28-year-old individuals with HO.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Hypothalamic Obesity and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

With a target enrollment of 24 participants, this is a small study — typical of early-phase research, rare-disease trials, or pilot studies designed to generate preliminary signal before a larger study is launched.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: 1. Males and Females; Ages 6-28 years (inclusive) 2. History of rapid weight gain related to tumor onset or treatment, as assessed by an experienced endocrinologist (for example, change in BMI z-score \> 0.2 and/or BMI +5% during the first 6 months following tumor treatment) 3. Obesity (BMI \> 95th%ile for age/sex using CDC 2000 reference for under 18; BMI \> 30 kg/m2 for 18+ years) 4. Recent evidence of hypothalamic injury by brain MRI with central review; \>6 months status-post definitive therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation); no major operations/surgeries planned during the study period. 5. Stable on pituitary replacement\* and/or appetite-modulating medications (including stimulants) for at least 2 months. \*Adjustments of less than 25% (\<25%) are permitted to hydrocortisone, growth hormone or thyroid hormone. Sex steroids and DDAVP are exempt. 6. Post-menarchal females must use a highly effective form of contraception, unless hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is documented. All participating females of child-bearing potential will have pregnancy testing as outlined in the protocol. 7. Participants must be able to communicate well with the investigative team, must comply with requirements of the study, and be able to provide written willing to sign a consent form and/or assent for individuals less than 18y with consent of a parent/legal guardian. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: 1. Contraindication to Phentermine, Topiramate, or Qsymia as assessed using current package inserts. Including: History of glaucoma and known hyperthyroidism. 2. Known history of nephrolithiasis (kidney stones). 3. Current clinical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa in the medical record. 4. Known history of metabolic acidosis, low bicarbonate on screening laboratory assessment (below lower limit of normal), or clinically significant bone disease requiring medication (beyond calcium and/or vitamin D). ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Males and Females; Ages 6-28 years (inclusive) 2. History of rapid weight gain related to tumor onset or treatment, as assessed by an experienced endocrinologist (for example, change in BMI z-score \> 0.2 and/or BMI +5% during the first 6 months following tumor treatment) 3. Obesity (BMI \> 95th%ile for age/sex using CDC 2000 reference for under 18; BMI \> 30 kg/m2 for 18+ years) 4. Recent evidence of hypothalamic injury by brain MRI with central review; \>6 months status-post definitive therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation); no major operations/surgeries planned during the study period. 5. Stable on pituitary replacement\* and/or appetite-modulating medications (including stimulants) for at least 2 months. \*Adjustments of less than 25% (\<25%) are permitted to hydrocortisone, growth hormone or thyroid hormone. Sex steroids and DDAVP are exempt. 6. Post-menarchal females must use a highly effective form of contraception, unless hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is documented. All participating females of child-bearing potential will have pregnancy testing as outlined in the protocol. 7. Participants must be able to communicate well with the investigative team, must comply with requirements of the study, and be able to provide written informed consent and/or assent for individuals less than 18y with consent of a parent/legal guardian. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Contraindication to Phentermine, Topiramate, or Qsymia as assessed using current package inserts. Including: History of glaucoma and known hyperthyroidism. 2. Known history of nephrolithiasis (kidney stones). 3. Current clinical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa in the medical record. 4. Known history of metabolic acidosis, low bicarbonate on screening laboratory assessment (below lower limit of normal), or clinically significant bone disease requiring medication (beyond calcium and/or vitamin D). 5. Current or recent (\<14 days) use of monoamine oxidase inhibitor. 6. Known hypersensitivity to sympathomimetic amines. 7. Clinically significant cardiovascular conditions, as defined as any of the following: i) abnormal blood pressure, defined as: under 13y, 95th%ile +12 mm Hg or \> 140/90, whichever is lower; 13y and older, \> 140/90 ; ii) history of cardiac arrhythmia or arrhythmia detected on screening ECG; iii) history of heart failure and/or cardiomyopathy; iv) prolonged QTc interval (QTc \> 460 msec), and/or long QT syndrome phenotype and/or positive genotype for long QT syndrome pathogenic; v) history of cardiac disease including coronary artery disease. 8. Females who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the trial. 9. "Brittle" diabetes insipidus (in the opinion of the referring endocrinologist, e.g. requiring frequent hospitalizations and/or frequent abnormal sodium values). 10. Diabetes mellitus requiring insulin/secretagogue. HbA1c \> 8.5% at Screening. 11. Clinically significant hyperthyroidism as assessed using thyroid hormone measurements. Clinical measurements within 12 months of baseline/screening may be used to assess this criterion. 12. History of clinically significant hypokalemia (low potassium) or current clinically significant hypokalemia (low potassium) on baseline/screening labs. 13. Clinically significant liver disease and/or known severe hepatic impairment. ALT \> 3 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) AST \> 3 x ULN 14. Clinically significant kidney disease. GFR\<60 ml/min/1.73m2 15. History of seizure in the 12 months prior to Screening. 16. History of substance abuse, depression of moderate or greater severity, psychiatric disorder and/or suicidality. 17. History of abdominal surgery including gastric bypass. 18. Current use of supra-physiologic steroids. 19. History of allergy or sensitivity to test agents. Including individuals with known aspirin allergy or hypersensitivity and/or known allergy to FD\&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine). 20. Concurrent use of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. 21. Concurrent use of non-potassium sparing diuretics. 22. New weight management medication (or \>5% decrease in weight over prior 2 months on any current, stable regimen), stimulant, and/or investigational medication within 2 months prior to screening, and/or plans to initiate other new weight management regimen. 23. Cognitive impairment that, in the opinion of the investigator, precludes participation in the study. 24. Individuals considered, in the Investigator's opinion, not suitable to participate in the study for reasons other than those indicated above.

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Phentermine / Topiramate Extended Release Oral Capsule [Qsymia]

To assess safety and maximum tolerated dose as well as efficacy on weight loss of Phentermine/Topiramate in individuals with hypothalamic obesity.

OTHER

Placebo

To assess safety and maximum tolerated dose as well as efficacy on weight loss of placebo treatment in individuals with hypothalamic obesity.

Locations (2)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Seattle Children's
Seattle, Washington, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06299891), the sponsor (Seattle Children's Hospital), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06299891 clinical trial studying?

Hypothalamic obesity (HO) refers to the substantial weight gain that often complicates hypothalamic brain tumors. Children with this treatment-recalcitrant form of obesity have excess rates of metabolic sequelae compared to otherwise healthy children with similar obesity, and later experience excess mortality related to cardiometabolic disease. In this pilot trial, our objective is to gather key preliminary data about phentermine/topiramate (Ph/T) that is FDA-approved for "common" obesity but has never been tested in HO. The subset of individuals with HO who experience hyperphagia or excess da… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT06299891?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06299891?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06299891. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06299891. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.