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Enrolling by invitationNCT05195944Updated Apr 6, 2026

Semaglutide vs Sitagliptin

A Phase 4 interventional study of Semaglutide Treatment and Sitagliptin 100mg in Liver Transplant; Complications, Diabetes Mellitus and NASH - Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, sponsored by University Health Network, Toronto. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-06.

Sponsored by University Health Network, Toronto · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
58
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The effect of once daily dosing of oral Semaglutide versus once daily dosing Sitagliptin on glycemic control, body weight, and safety and tolerability will be compared in Liver Transplant Recipients with poorly-controlled Diabetes Mellitus.

Read the detailed description

This will be a Phase IV, randomized, parallel, active-controlled, double-blind clinical trial, with one group receiving oral Semaglutide and the other group receiving oral sitagliptin, while continuing any background glucose-lowering medications such as metformin or insulin. Treatment duration will be 26 weeks. Sitagliptin has been chosen as comparator since it is an established oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) within the DPP-4i drug class. There will be a screening period, treatment period, and follow-up period. Furthermore, the investigators will collect biological samples and correlates including serum, plasma, and Intestinal Microbiome samples prior to initiation of study treatment and at the completion of the trial. The investigators will also perform Transient Elastography at these same visits to evaluate change in degree of participant graft steatosis.

02

Conditions studied

  • Liver Transplant; Complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus
  • NASH - Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
  • NAFLD
03

In context

Diabetes Mellitus

10,925 studies on the registry are indexed under Diabetes Mellitus; 1,319 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 58 is below the median of 80 across 8,367 interventional studies indexed under Diabetes Mellitus.

Browse Diabetes Mellitus studies →

Lead sponsor

University Health Network, Toronto is the lead sponsor of 1,411 studies on the registry; 292 are open to participants now.

Of its 17 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 3 (18%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female, age ≥18 years at the time of signing informed consent.
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent.
  • Recipient of liver graft (Liver/Kidney recipients and retransplants allowed)
  • Time from transplant surgery ≥ 3 months at time of screening visit with no evidence of active rejection. Liver enzymes must be stable with elevations no greater than 2xULN. However, if patients have elevated liver enzymes beyond 2xULN due to NASH, as confirmed on liver biopsy, they may be included.
  • Patient diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or post-transplant diabetes
  • Patients transplanted for hepatocellular carcinoma may be included provide their latest surveillance imaging is negative for recurrence
  • The use of any immunosuppression regimen (calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate mofetil, maintenance prednisone or sirolimus) is acceptable
  • HbA1c 6.5-10.5% (53-91 mmol/mol) (both inclusive, not under optimal glycemic control).

For purposes of clarification, patients on stable treatment with one of the following insulin regimens (minimum 10 IU/day) ≥ 90 days prior to the day of screening, may be included (maximum 20% change in total daily dose within the 90 days is acceptable):

  • Basal insulin alone
  • Basal and bolus insulin in any combination
  • Premixed insulin including combinations of soluble insulin Concomitant treatment with stable daily dose of metformin and/or an SGLT2 inhibitor ≥ 90 days prior to the day of screening is allowed.

Being on insulin, metformin, and/or an SGLT-2 inhibitor is optional.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known or suspected hypersensitivity to trial products or related products.
  • Previous participation in this trial.
  • Active graft dysfunction that requires investigation (at screening).
  • Currently receiving steroids (prednisone) for treatment of acute cellular rejection.
  • Patients transplanted for multisystem genetic disorders such as amyloidosis or cystic fibrosis.
  • Female who is pregnant, breast-feeding or intends to become pregnant or is of child-bearing potential and not using highly-effective contraceptive methods ().
  • Receipt of any investigational medicinal product within 90 days before screening.
  • Any disorder or medical condition which, in the investigator's opinion, might jeopardize patient's safety or compliance with the protocol.
  • Family or personal history of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2 (MEN 2) or Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC).
  • History of pancreatitis (acute or chronic).
  • History of major surgical procedures involving the stomach and potentially affecting absorption of trial product (e.g. subtotal and total gastrectomy, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery).
  • Any of the following: myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or hospitalization for unstable angina or transient ischemic attack within the past 180 days prior to the day of screening and randomization.
  • Classified as being in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IV.
  • Planned coronary, carotid or peripheral artery revascularization known on the day of screening.
  • Renal impairment defined as estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) \<30 mL/min/1.73 m2 as per Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula (CKD-EPI).
  • Treatment with any medication for the indication of diabetes or obesity other than stated in the inclusion criteria in a period of 90 days before the day of screening. An exception is short-term change of insulin treatment for acute illness for a total of ≤ 14 days.
  • Known history of proliferative retinopathy or maculopathy requiring acute treatment, unless stable
  • History or presence of actively treated malignant neoplasms within the last 5 years (except basal and squamous cell skin cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and carcinoma in situ.)
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
58 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Semaglutide

    In the Semaglutide Arm, participants will receive daily: 1 tablet of Semaglutide and 1 tablet of Sitagliptin placebo for 26 weeks. The dosages of Semaglutide are 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg.

    Drug: Semaglutide Treatment

  • Active comparator
    Sitagliptin

    In the Sitagliptin arm, participants will receive daily: 1 tablet of 100 mg Sitagliptin and 1 tablet of Semaglutide placebo for 26 weeks.

    Drug: Sitagliptin 100mg

Interventions

  • DrugSemaglutide Treatment

    The participants will be provided with Semaglutide, titrated up to 14 mg. The starting dose of Semaglutide is 3 mg once daily. At week 4, the dose will be increased to 7 mg once daily. At week 8, the dose will be increased to 14 mg once daily and will be maintained at 14mg until End of Treatment (week 26). Throughout the 26 week treatment period, participants in this arm will also take one "sitagliptin placebo" tablet per day.

  • DrugSitagliptin 100mg

    participants will take 100mg tablet of Sitagliptin once daily, along with a "semaglutide placebo" pill for the duration of the 26 week treatment period

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in HbA1c level

    Evaluate the change in glycemic control and body weight within and between study groups by measuring HbA1c levels and body weight (kg)

    Time frame: Baseline to 26 weeks

  2. Change in body weight (kg)

    Evaluate the change in glycemic control and body weight within and between study groups by measuring HbA1c levels and body weight (kg)

    Time frame: Baseline to week 26

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in fasting plasma glucose

    Time frame: Baseline to 26 weeks

  2. Change in body weight %

    Time frame: Baseline to 26 weeks

  3. Change in Body mass index (BMI)

    Time frame: Baseline to 26 weeks

  4. Change in waist circumference

    Time frame: Baseline to 26 weeks

  5. Number of treatment-emergent adverse events

    safety and tolerability of study drugs.

    Time frame: 26 weeks

Other outcomes

  1. Change in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level

    Liver enzyme (AST) level acts as a biomarker of graft injury and will be measured through serum samples during study visits.

    Time frame: baseline to 26 weeks

  2. Change in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level

    Liver enzyme (ALT) level acts as a biomarker of graft injury and will be measured through serum samples during study visits.

    Time frame: baseline to 26 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Toronto General Hospital
    Toronto, Ontario M5G 2N2, Canada
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 6, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05195944
Lead sponsor
University Health Network, Toronto
Collaborators
Novo Nordisk A/S
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 19, 2022
Start date
Oct 26, 2022
Primary completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 6, 2026

Study contacts

Mamatha Bhat, MD
principal investigator · University Health Network, Toronto

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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