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Low Level Laser Treatment (LLLT) and Lorcaserin for Weight Management

A Feasibility Pilot Comparing a Non-invasive Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) With Lorcaserin to Reduce Central Adiposity in Overweight Individuals.

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02129608
Enrollment
44
Registered
2014-05-02
Start date
2014-06-30
Completion date
2015-12-31
Last updated
2016-11-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Overweight, Obese

Keywords

overweight, obese, central adiposity, Laser, lorcaserin, low level laser therapy, belviq

Brief summary

Currently in the United States about 97 million adults are considered obese, accounting for about 33% of the American adult population (compared to 22.9% in 1988). Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30.0 or higher, is accountable for 44% of the diabetes, 23% of the ischemic heart disease and between 7% and 41% of certain cancers. The Erchonia® Zerona™ 2.0 Laser (which will be used in this study) has been approved by the FDA (K123237) as a non-invasive dermatological aesthetic treatment which can be used by individuals intending to reduce circumference of hips, waist, and thighs. Lorcaserin is a selective serotonin 2C (5-HT(2C)) receptor agonist. The exact mechanism of action is not known, but lorcaserin is believed to promote satiety and decrease food intake by activating 5-HT(2C) receptors on anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin neurons in the hypothalamus. Lorcaserin was approved by the FDA on June 2012 for weight management in people with a BMI of \> 27 kg/m2 (overweight) when accompanied by a weigh-related condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure or in people with a BMI \> 30 kg/m2 (obese). The purpose of this pilot study is to obtain preliminary data on: 1) effectiveness of the combination of LLLT and lorcaserin for reducing abdominal subcutaneous fat in overweight/obese individuals; 2) impact of LLLT on inflammatory biomarkers, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Detailed description

This study is being done to find out how effective Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT - Erchonia® Zerona™ 2.0 Laser) is compared to Lorcaserin (Belviq®) in helping overweight people reduce their weight gain - especially in the central body region. Subjects will undergo 2 screening visits in which the investigators will take their medical and weight concern histories; and if found eligible, they will be randomized to one of three groups: 1) 12 weeks of LLLT, 2) 12 weeks of Lorcaserin, and 3) 12 weeks of a combination of both Lorcaserin and LLLT. Full study participation will last approximately 6 months and consists of 10 visits- 9 clinical and 1 phone call. During this study subjects will be provided with weight prevention counseling and be asked to complete 3 additional fasting blood draws. There will be one urine pregnancy test (for females only) at the beginning of the study.

Interventions

DEVICELLLT

The LLLT uses 6 diode laser heads - each emitting 17 mW output. Subject will receive 30 minutes of therapy in the frontal central area and 30 minutes of therapy in the back central area, once a week for 12 weeks.

DRUGLorcaserin

10 mg pills twice daily for 12 weeks.

Sponsors

Mayo Clinic
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* be 18-70 years of age; * have a body weight of greater than 50 kg (110 pounds); * have a BMI 27-39.9 kg/m2; * be weight concerned; * be motivated to reduce their central adiposity; * be able to participate fully in all aspects of the study; * have understood and signed study informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* have used weight loss medications or participated in a weight loss program within the past 30 days; * are currently taking supplements known to affect weight, such as garcinia cambrogia. * have had weight fluctuations of 20 pounds or more in the past 6 months (self-report); * have an implanted device (including pacemaker or lap band) in the targeted area of LLLT; * have an active untreated clinically significant psychiatric condition (psychosis, bipolar disorder, or depression); * have used an investigational drug within 30 days of study enrollment; * have a recent history (past 30 days) of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence; * are currently pregnant or lactating, or are of child-bearing potential or are likely to become pregnant during the medication phase and are unwilling to use a reliable form of contraception; * have a history of any major cardiovascular events including heart valve disease, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or peripheral vascular disease; * have current uncontrolled hypertension (systolic \> 165 mm Hg or diastolic \> 95 mm Hg) documented on 2 separate occasions; * have clinically significant acute or chronic progressive or unstable neurologic, hepatic, renal, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, or metabolic disease (such as diabetes) or active cancer or are within 1 year of cancer remission; * Prior surgical intervention for body sculpting/weight loss, such as liposuction, abdominoplasty, stomach stapling, lap band surgery, etc.; * medical, physical, or other contraindications for body sculpting/weight loss; * current use of medication(s) known to affect weight levels/cause bloating or swelling and for which abstinence during the course of study participation is not safe or medically prudent; * concurrently taking a serotonergic drug (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), triptans, bupropion, dextromethorphan, St. John's Wort). These drugs can be used to treat depression and/or migraines but are contraindicated with lorcaserin; * any medical condition known to affect weight levels and/or to cause bloating or swelling; * diagnosis of, and/or taking medication for, irritable bowel syndrome; * active infection, wound or other external trauma to the areas to be treated with the laser; * known photosensitivity disorder; * are allergic to lorcaserin; * current active cancer or currently receiving treatment for cancer; or * have a known history of any condition or factor judged by the investigator to preclude participation in the study or which might hinder adherence;

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Waist Circumference3 monthsThe change in waist circumference from baseline to 3 months
Change in Weight3 monthsThe change in weight from baseline to 3 months

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
LLLT
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) once a week for 12 weeks LLLT: The LLLT uses 6 diode laser heads - each emitting 17 mW output. Subject will receive 30 minutes of therapy in the frontal central area and 30 minutes of therapy in the back central area, once a week for 12 weeks.
15
Lorcaserin
locarserin monotherapy - 10 mg, twice daily for 12 weeks Lorcaserin: 10 mg pills twice daily for 12 weeks.
14
LLLT and Lorcaserin
LLLT once a week for 12 weeks and 10 mg of Lorcaserin twice daily for 12 weeks LLLT: The LLLT uses 6 diode laser heads - each emitting 17 mW output. Subject will receive 30 minutes of therapy in the frontal central area and 30 minutes of therapy in the back central area, once a week for 12 weeks. Lorcaserin: 10 mg pills twice daily for 12 weeks.
15
Total44

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up011
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject002

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicLLLT and LorcaserinLLLTLorcaserinTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
15 Participants15 Participants14 Participants44 Participants
Age, Continuous45.4 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.3
45.4 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.9
40.6 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.5
43.9 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.6
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
15 Participants14 Participants14 Participants43 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
15 Participants15 Participants14 Participants44 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
15 participants15 participants14 participants44 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
13 Participants13 Participants11 Participants37 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
2 Participants2 Participants3 Participants7 Participants
waist circumference (in cm)100.9 cm
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10
105.3 cm
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.6
108.0 cm
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.7
104.7 cm
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.6
Weight (in kgs)90.3 kg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 14
96.0 kg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.3
94.4 kg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 16.2
93.5 kg
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —— / —— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 152 / 144 / 15
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 150 / 140 / 15

Outcome results

Primary

Change in Waist Circumference

The change in waist circumference from baseline to 3 months

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
LLLTChange in Waist Circumference-2.3 cmStandard Deviation 4.1
LorcaserinChange in Waist Circumference-6.0 cmStandard Deviation 7.3
LLLT and LorcaserinChange in Waist Circumference-4.0 cmStandard Deviation 5.5
p-value: 0.398t-test, 2 sided
p-value: 0.436t-test, 2 sided
Primary

Change in Weight

The change in weight from baseline to 3 months

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
LLLTChange in Weight-1.0 kgStandard Deviation 4.4
LorcaserinChange in Weight-3.7 kgStandard Deviation 3.3
LLLT and LorcaserinChange in Weight-3.5 kgStandard Deviation 3.6
p-value: 0.07t-test, 2 sided
p-value: 0.95t-test, 2 sided

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 1, 2026