A Phase 4 interventional study of Semaglutide Injectable Product and Placebo in Major Depressive Disorder, sponsored by Nordsjaellands Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Denmark. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-06.
Sponsored by Nordsjaellands Hospital · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment
This 26-week long, double-blinded randomized clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of semaglutide once-weekly vs. placebo on depressive symptoms in 116 patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and co-existing overweight or obesity. The treatment will be an add-on treatment to the patient's usual medication. The investigators hypothesize that adjunctive treatment with semaglutide, will lead to a significant improvement in mood compared to placebo in patients with MDD and overweight or obesity.
The primary endpoint is the change in depressive symptoms measured as difference in the 12-item self-report mood questionnaire Major Depression Inventory (MDI) from start to follow-up after 26 weeks. The MDI measures the extent to which symptoms of depression have been present in the past two weeks.
This 26 week, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigate effects of semaglutide once-weekly vs. placebo on depressive symptoms in patients with unipolar disorder and comorbid obesity or overweight aged 18 years to 65 years. The primary endpoint is the change in depressive symptoms measured as difference in the 12-item self-report mood questionnaire Major Depression Inventory (MDI) from week 0 to week 26.
Participants will be randomized to receive once-weekly injection of either semaglutide or placebo.
Patients will be treated for 26 weeks with an initial dose of semaglutide of 0.25 mg once weekly for four weeks, 0.50 mg once weekly for four weeks 1.0 mg for four weeks, 1.7 mg for four weeks and finally 2.4 mg for the remaining treatment period. Assessments will be conducted at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 26. Adherence and adverse events will be assessed during the entire treatment period. In addition, heart rate, blood pressure, height, body weight, waist and hip circumference will be recorded. The diagnosis of depression will be confirmed at baseline and depressive symptoms will be assessed with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) at baseline week 0, 12 and 26. MDI will be completed monthly. Participants will also complete questionnaires on physical activity, cognitive complaints, perceived stress, the reward system, Quality of life, alcohol use, and sleep quality at baseline and week 26.
2,741 studies on the registry are indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major; 559 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 116 is above the median of 80 across 2,283 interventional studies indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major.
Browse Depressive Disorder, Major studies →Nordsjaellands Hospital is the lead sponsor of 88 studies on the registry; 21 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Wegovy once--weekly s.c titrated to max dose of 2.4 mg
Drug: Semaglutide Injectable Product
Saline s.c. once-weekly
Drug: Placebo
Semaglutide (Wegovy) once-weekly injection s.c
Placebo (BD Posiflush) once-weekly injection s.c
Change in depressive symptoms
Change in depressive symptoms measured by the Major Depression Inventory (MDI; 12-item self-report mood questionnaire). The scale ranges from 0 to 50, with higher scores indicating worse outcome.
Time frame: From baseline to 26 weeks of treatment
Glycaemic control parameters (blood sampling)
Changes in HbA1c levels
Time frame: From baseline to 26 weeks of treatment
Body weight
Change in body weight in kilograms (kg).
Time frame: From baseline to 26 weeks
Waist circumference
Change in waist circumference in centimeters (cm).
Time frame: From baseline to 26 weeks of treatment
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-items (HDRS-17) score
Change in depressive symptoms measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-items (HDRS-17) score. The scale ranges from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating worse outcome.
Time frame: From baseline to 26 weeks of treatment
Functioning assessment short test (FAST) score
Changes in Functioning assessment short test (FAST) score. Total score in the range 0-72, where higher scores reflect more serious functional impairment
Time frame: From baseline to 26 weeks of treatment
Plan to share: Yes — Individual Participant Data (IPD) will be shared upon reasonable and relevant requests, such as for meta-analyses. All IPD will be anonymized or de-identified to protect participants' privacy and in accordance with applicable regulations, including the GDPR.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap
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Nordsjaellands Hospital