Effect of Semaglutide on Embryo Quality in Overweight and Obese Patients Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization.

NCT ID: NCT07242534

Last Updated: 2026-01-21

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

62 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-19

Study Completion Date

2027-05-31

Brief Summary

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This is a randomized, controlled clinical trial with a two-sided superiority hypothesis. The study evaluates whether a 12-week pre-treatment with semaglutide prior to ovarian stimulation improves the number of good-quality blastocysts in overweight and obese women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), compared to no pre-treatment.

Detailed Description

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Overweight and obese women (BMI 27-40 kg/m²) aged ≤38 years with adequate ovarian reserve (AMH ≥1 ng/mL or AFC ≥6) will be enrolled. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 12 weeks of semaglutide pre-treatment (intervention group) or no pre-treatment (control group) before undergoing standard ovarian stimulation.

Embryos will be cultured to the blastocyst stage and cryopreserved (freeze-all strategy). In the semaglutide group, embryo transfer will occur after an 8-week washout from the last semaglutide dose.

Primary outcome: number of good-quality blastocysts on day 5. Secondary outcomes: embryo morphokinetics, fertilization rate, number of MII oocytes, number of COCs, total blastocyst formation rate, number of cryopreserved embryos, and pre/post semaglutide changes in weight, BMI, waist circumference, AMH, and AFC.

The study has been designed with a superiority hypothesis to detect a difference of 1.5 good-quality blastocysts between groups, with 80% power and a two-sided alpha of 0.05.

Conditions

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Infertility Obesity

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Semaglutide

Semaglutide 0.25-1.0 mg for 12 weeks prior to ovarian stimulation

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Semaglutide

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants in this group will receive semaglutide for 12 weeks before ovarian stimulation (0.25 mg/week in weeks 1-4, 0.5 mg/week in weeks 5-8, and 1 mg/week in weeks 9-12). After pre-treatment, controlled ovarian stimulation will be initiated with 225-300 IU/day of rFSH, GnRH antagonist (0.25 mg/day) starting when follicles reach ≥14 mm, and ovulation triggered with triptorelin 0.2 mg when 2-3 follicles reach ≥18 mm. Oocyte retrieval will occur 34-36 hours later, followed by IVF/ICSI. Embryos will be cultured to blastocyst stage and cryopreserved. Embryo transfer will occur after an 8-week washout from semaglutide.

No pre-treatment

No pre-treatment prior to ovarian stimulation Pre-treatment

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

No pre-treatment

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants in this group will undergo standard ovarian stimulation without semaglutide pre-treatment. Stimulation will begin with 225-300 IU/day of rFSH, GnRH antagonist (0.25 mg/day) starting when follicles reach ≥14 mm, and ovulation triggered with triptorelin 0.2 mg when 2-3 follicles reach ≥18 mm. Oocyte retrieval will be performed 34-36 hours later, followed by IVF/ICSI. Embryos will be cultured to the blastocyst stage and cryopreserved. Embryo transfer will follow standard clinical practice.

Interventions

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Semaglutide

Participants in this group will receive semaglutide for 12 weeks before ovarian stimulation (0.25 mg/week in weeks 1-4, 0.5 mg/week in weeks 5-8, and 1 mg/week in weeks 9-12). After pre-treatment, controlled ovarian stimulation will be initiated with 225-300 IU/day of rFSH, GnRH antagonist (0.25 mg/day) starting when follicles reach ≥14 mm, and ovulation triggered with triptorelin 0.2 mg when 2-3 follicles reach ≥18 mm. Oocyte retrieval will occur 34-36 hours later, followed by IVF/ICSI. Embryos will be cultured to blastocyst stage and cryopreserved. Embryo transfer will occur after an 8-week washout from semaglutide.

Intervention Type DRUG

No pre-treatment

Participants in this group will undergo standard ovarian stimulation without semaglutide pre-treatment. Stimulation will begin with 225-300 IU/day of rFSH, GnRH antagonist (0.25 mg/day) starting when follicles reach ≥14 mm, and ovulation triggered with triptorelin 0.2 mg when 2-3 follicles reach ≥18 mm. Oocyte retrieval will be performed 34-36 hours later, followed by IVF/ICSI. Embryos will be cultured to the blastocyst stage and cryopreserved. Embryo transfer will follow standard clinical practice.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* ≤ 38 years
* AMH \>= 1 ng/mL or AFC \>= 6
* Body mass index (BMI) between 27 kg/m2 and 40 kg/m2
* Scheduled for IVF with freeze-all strategy

Exclusion Criteria

* Severe male factor (sperm concentration \<5M/mL)
* Type 2 diabetes mellitus
* Prior use of GLP-1 Ras within the past year
* Uncontrolled thyroid disorders
* Contraindications to IVF or semaglutide treatment
* Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases
* Family history of hereditary or chromosomal diseases
* Use of glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants
* PGT-A
* Use of medications affecting metabolism or inflammation
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

38 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Fundacion Dexeus

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Nikolaos P Polyzos, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dexeus Fertility

Locations

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Dexeus Mujer Sabadell

Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Dexeus Mujer Sant Cugat

Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Dexeus Mujer Reus

Reus, Tarragona, Spain

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Departamento de Ginecología Obstetricia y Reproducción. Hospital Universitari Dexeus

Barcelona, , Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Dexeus Mujer Tarragona

Tarragona, , Spain

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

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Spain

Central Contacts

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Nikolaos P Polyzos, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

0034932274700

Ignacio Rodríguez, MSc

Role: CONTACT

0034932274700 ext. 22029

Facility Contacts

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Ainhoa Coco, MD

Role: primary

0034932274700

Ainhoa Coco, MD

Role: primary

0034932274700

Josep Gonzalo, MD

Role: primary

Ignacio Rodríguez, MSc

Role: primary

0034932274700 ext. 22029

Josep Gonzalo, MD

Role: primary

References

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Amiri M, Ramezani Tehrani F. Potential Adverse Effects of Female and Male Obesity on Fertility: A Narrative Review. Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Sep 28;18(3):e101776. doi: 10.5812/ijem.101776. eCollection 2020 Jul.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Khan D, Ojo OO, Woodward OR, Lewis JE, Sridhar A, Gribble FM, Reimann F, Flatt PR, Moffett RC. Evidence for Involvement of GIP and GLP-1 Receptors and the Gut-Gonadal Axis in Regulating Female Reproductive Function in Mice. Biomolecules. 2022 Nov 23;12(12):1736. doi: 10.3390/biom12121736.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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2025-522525-34-00

Identifier Type: CTIS

Identifier Source: secondary_id

FSD-SEM-2025-14

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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