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

Summary

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.

Timeline

Start

2026-01-19

Primary completion

2027-02

Completion

2027-05

Publications

• Background 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.
• Background Bader S, Bhatti R, Mussa B, Abusanana S. A systematic review of GLP-1 on anthropometrics, metabolic and endocrine parameters in patients with PCOS. Womens Health (Lond). 2024 Jan-Dec;20:17455057241234530. doi: 10.1177/17455057241234530.
• Background Dag ZO, Dilbaz B. Impact of obesity on infertility in women. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2015 Jun 1;16(2):111-7. doi: 10.5152/jtgga.2015.15232. eCollection 2015.
• Background Gautam D, Purandare N, Maxwell CV, Rosser ML, O'Brien P, Mocanu E, McKeown C, Malhotra J, McAuliffe FM; FIGO Committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility. The challenges of obesity for fertility: A FIGO literature review. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Jan;160 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):50-55. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14538.
• Background Goldberg AS, Boots CE. Treating obesity and fertility in the era of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. Fertil Steril. 2024 Aug;122(2):211-218. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.05.154. Epub 2024 May 27.
• Background He Y, Lu Y, Zhu Q, Wang Y, Lindheim SR, Qi J, Li X, Ding Y, Shi Y, Wei D, Chen ZJ, Sun Y. Influence of metabolic syndrome on female fertility and in vitro fertilization outcomes in PCOS women. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Aug;221(2):138.e1-138.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.03.011. Epub 2019 Mar 22.
• Background Jensterle M, Janez A, Fliers E, DeVries JH, Vrtacnik-Bokal E, Siegelaar SE. The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 in reproduction: from physiology to therapeutic perspective. Hum Reprod Update. 2019 Jul 1;25(4):504-517. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmz019.
• Background 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.
• Background Li MC, Minguez-Alarcon L, Arvizu M, Chiu YH, Ford JB, Williams PL, Attaman J, Hauser R, Chavarro JE; EARTH Study Team. Waist circumference in relation to outcomes of infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Jun;220(6):578.e1-578.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.02.013. Epub 2019 Feb 11.
• Background Moran L, Tsagareli V, Norman R, Noakes M. Diet and IVF pilot study: short-term weight loss improves pregnancy rates in overweight/obese women undertaking IVF. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2011 Oct;51(5):455-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2011.01343.x. Epub 2011 Jul 19.
• Background Nuako A, Tu L, Reyes KJC, Chhabria SM, Stanford FC. Pharmacologic Treatment of Obesity in Reproductive Aged Women. Curr Obstet Gynecol Rep. 2023 Jun;12(2):138-146. doi: 10.1007/s13669-023-00350-1. Epub 2023 Feb 27.
• Background Pavli P, Triantafyllidou O, Kapantais E, Vlahos NF, Valsamakis G. Infertility Improvement after Medical Weight Loss in Women and Men: A Review of the Literature. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 5;25(3):1909. doi: 10.3390/ijms25031909.
• Background Sacha CR, Page CM, Goldman RH, Ginsburg ES, Zera CA. Are women with obesity and infertility willing to attempt weight loss prior to fertility treatment? Obes Res Clin Pract. 2018 Jan-Feb;12(1):125-128. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2017.11.004. Epub 2017 Dec 6.
• Background Salamun V, Jensterle M, Janez A, Vrtacnik Bokal E. Liraglutide increases IVF pregnancy rates in obese PCOS women with poor response to first-line reproductive treatments: a pilot randomized study. Eur J Endocrinol. 2018 Jul;179(1):1-11. doi: 10.1530/EJE-18-0175. Epub 2018 Apr 27.
• Background Silvestris E, de Pergola G, Rosania R, Loverro G. Obesity as disruptor of the female fertility. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2018 Mar 9;16(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s12958-018-0336-z.
• Background Szczesnowicz A, Szeliga A, Niwczyk O, Bala G, Meczekalski B. Do GLP-1 Analogs Have a Place in the Treatment of PCOS? New Insights and Promising Therapies. J Clin Med. 2023 Sep 12;12(18):5915. doi: 10.3390/jcm12185915.
• Background Sola-Leyva A, Pathare ADS, Apostolov A, Aleksejeva E, Kask K, Tammiste T, Ruiz-Duran S, Risal S, Acharya G, Salumets A. The hidden impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists on endometrial receptivity and implantation. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2025 Feb;104(2):258-266. doi: 10.1111/aogs.15010. Epub 2024 Dec 18.
• Background Sundararaman L, Gouda D, Kumar A, Sundararaman S, Goudra B. Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: Exciting Avenues Beyond Weight Loss. J Clin Med. 2025 Mar 14;14(6):1978. doi: 10.3390/jcm14061978.
• Background Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Lingvay I, McGowan BM, Rosenstock J, Tran MTD, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Yokote K, Zeuthen N, Kushner RF; STEP 1 Study Group. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021 Mar 18;384(11):989-1002. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

Drugs

Indications