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37 Anorexia Trials

Power is an online platform that helps thousands of Anorexia patients discover FDA-reviewed trials every day. Every trial we feature meets safety and ethical standards, giving patients an easy way to discover promising new treatments in the research stage.

This trial tests whether olanzapine or megestrol acetate is better at increasing appetite in patients with advanced cancer. These patients often struggle with eating and weight loss. Both medications aim to make them feel hungrier, helping them eat more and gain weight. Megestrol acetate is known for its effectiveness in increasing appetite in patients with cancer.
No Placebo Group
Pivotal Trial
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Phase 3
Age:18+
Sex:All
360 Participants Needed
This trial tests a new treatment for adults with anorexia nervosa that uses brain science to guide intensive therapy sessions involving the patient's family.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Enrolling By Invitation
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 50
Sex:Female
200 Participants Needed
This pilot study is a first step in looking at the relationship between exercise and appetite in women with loss of control eating.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 45
Sex:Female
13 Participants Needed
This trial is testing whether different emotion management techniques help people reduce their negative emotions more effectively. It aims to find out which method works best for improving emotional well-being.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18+
Sex:All
390 Participants Needed
Image of trial facility.

Ponsegromab for Cachexia

Lexington, Kentucky
This trial tests Ponsegromab, a new drug, on cancer patients who are losing weight and have high GDF 15 levels. The drug aims to lower GDF 15 to improve appetite and reduce weight loss.
Trial Details
Trial Status:Active Not Recruiting
Trial Phase:Phase 2
Age:18+
Sex:All
187 Participants Needed
Randomized, placebo-controlled study investigating the use of physiologic, transdermal estrogen for low bone mass in adult women with anorexia nervosa.
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Phase 2
Age:19 - 45
Sex:Female
66 Participants Needed
This trial is testing two types of home-based family therapy for teenagers with anorexia nervosa. It aims to see if involving families in therapy can help improve eating habits and emotional well-being. The study will measure how effective, acceptable, and practical these treatments are. Family-based treatment (FBT) has demonstrated efficacy for anorexia nervosa (AN) in youth.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:12 - 18
Sex:All
60 Participants Needed
This trial tests a therapy called FED-F that helps people with Anorexia Nervosa face their fears about food, weight, and social situations. The goal is to see if this approach can reduce anxiety and prevent relapse by encouraging patients to confront their fears.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 65
Sex:All
70 Participants Needed
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental illness: someone dies of an ED every 52 minutes. EDs are highly related to a host of negative outcomes, including public health and individual disease burden, medical and psychological comorbidities, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Treatment response for EDs are suboptimal; there are no evidence-based treatment for adults with anorexia nervosa (AN) or Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) and only 50% of adults respond to current evidence based treatments. There are no precision treatments, nor any treatments that consider social context, in existence. Personalized treatments for EDs, that consider social contexts, are urgently needed to improve treatment response and minimize the suffering associated with these illnesses. The investigators' overall goal, extending upon their past work, is to create a treatment personalized based on idiographic (or one person) models (termed Transdiagnostic Network Informed Personalized Treatment for EDs; T-NIPT-ED). The investigators will carry out a two-phase study to systematically characterize individual mechanisms of treatment (Phase I: N=900) and then test the efficacy of each treatment module (Phase II: N=240 drawn from Phase I) compared to the current gold-standard treatment (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Enhanced: CBT-E). The study goals are to (1) characterize the prevalence of T-NIPT-ED precision treatment mechanisms and medical and psychological comorbidities (e.g., obesity; depression), individual disease burden (e.g., disability), SDOH (e.g., food insecurity), and public health outcomes (e.g., service utilization) specific to these mechanisms, (2) identify if personalized target mechanisms improve when matched to evidence-based treatment modules of T-NIPT-ED and (3) test if change in T-NIPT-ED is associated with improved outcomes (vs CBT-E), including ED outcomes, comorbidities, disease burden, and public health outcomes and if these outcomes are moderated by SDOH. These goals will ultimately lead to the very first precision treatment for ED and can be extended to additional psychiatric illnesses. The proposed research uses highly innovative methods; intensive longitudinal data collected with mobile technology is combined with state-of-the art idiographic modeling methods to deliver a virtual, personalized treatment. This proposal integrates assessment of broad (e.g., SDOH; public health burden) and specific (e.g., ED symptoms) outcomes, to ensure that social context can be integrated into personalization. The proposed research has high clinical impact. Ultimately, this proposal will lead directly to the creation and dissemination of an evidence-based individually-personalized treatment for EDs, as well as will serve as an exemplar for precision treatment development across the entire field of psychiatry.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 65
Sex:All
320 Participants Needed
The scientific premise, developed from past work, is that treatment personalized based on idiographic models (termed Network Informed Personalized Treatment; NA-PT) will outperform the current gold-standard treatment (Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: CBT-E). The study goals are to (1) develop and test the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of a randomization of NA-PT versus CBT-E and (2) to test if network-identified precision targets are the mechanism of change. These goals will ultimately lead to the very first personalized treatment for ED and can be extended to additional psychiatric illnesses. Specific aims are (1) To collect preliminary data on the feasibility and acceptability of the randomization of NA-PT (n=40) for EDs versus CBT-E (n=40), (2) To test the initial clinical efficacy of NA-PT versus CBT-E on clinical outcomes (e.g., ED symptoms, body mass index, quality of life) and (3) To examine if changes in NA-identified, precision targets, as well as in dynamic network structure, are associated with change in clinical outcomes.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Active Not Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 65
Sex:All
80 Participants Needed
The purpose of this study is to collect preliminary data on the feasibility and acceptability of the randomization of two relapse-prevention treatment conditions after discharge from intensive eating disorder (ED) treatment: an imaginal exposure therapy and a writing and thinking intervention. The second aim to test for (a) differences between the two treatments for the prevention of relapse and (b) preliminary change on clinical ED outcomes (e.g., ED symptoms, fears). The investigators further aim to examine the two treatments target fear extinction and if fear extinction is associated with ED outcomes. The investigators also plan to test if baseline differences in fear conditioning relate to change in ED outcomes across treatment.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Active Not Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 65
Sex:All
130 Participants Needed
The investigators plan to collect preliminary data on the feasibility, acceptability, and user uptake of a personalized self-guided mobile intervention for disordered eating (DE) and test the initial clinical efficacy of this intervention. Women (N=50) who endorse significant DE will complete two weeks of smart-phone self-monitoring to identify target problems and will be sent two self-guided modules of personalized treatment directly to their smart-phones. The investigators will assess engagement with the modules throughout two months and administer baseline, week 5, and week 8 assessments for acceptability, uptake, and initial clinical efficacy (e.g., DE symptoms, anxiety, quality of life). The investigators will also complete a focus group (n=10) with a subset of users to receive input on the mobile-application assessment and ease of self-guided intervention modules.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Not Yet Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 65
Sex:All
50 Participants Needed
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has among the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, yet we have a poor understanding of the biological causes of this disorder. In this study, we use a novel mechanosensory intervention to examine the basic question of whether individuals with AN have abnormal "gut sensations" and whether such indicators are associated with adverse consequences from the disorder.
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:15 - 40
Sex:Female
150 Participants Needed
The proposed project is an intensive multi family therapy (MFT) intervention involving patients with anorexia nervosa and their families. MFT interventions are informed from the principles of the family based treatment (FBT)/family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) models. This program will offer families in vivo/virtual support while connecting with other families to increase knowledge of eating disorders and develop skills related to successfully supporting their adolescent during difficult times, including meal support and affect regulation. Our objective is to explore the influence of the MFT intervention on the primary outcome measures in eating disorder treatment, including weight, expressed emotion and eating disorder symptomatology.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:11 - 18
Sex:All
200 Participants Needed
This study tests a suite of single-session intervention (SSI) targeting risk factors for depression and eating disorders among adolescents and young adults. Youth ages 13-25 who screen positive for depression or anxiety as a part of routine care will be offered one of three digital SSIs. Participants will complete questionnaires before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 3-months after completing the intervention so that the study team can investigate if Project YES leads to reductions in depression, anxiety and eating disorder symptoms.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Enrolling By Invitation
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:13 - 25
Sex:All
100 Participants Needed
This trial tests if writing self-compassionate letters can help patients with eating disorders feel less shame and be kinder to themselves. Participants will write these letters for a short period before starting their regular treatment. This approach aims to build self-compassion and reduce shame, which are believed to contribute to the maintenance and alleviation of eating disorders.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Enrolling By Invitation
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:17+
Sex:All
160 Participants Needed
Eating disorders are amongst the most understudied illnesses affecting young women in Canada. Further, mortality rates are amongst the highest of all psychiatric illnesses. Despite their high prevalence and mortality rates, research into adolescent eating disorders is underfunded in Canada. In addition to the problem of research underfunding, healthcare system underfunding exists - creating long waiting lists and fragmented care for children and youth with eating disorders. More efficient treatments are urgently needed to reduce wait times and provide expedited care to adolescents on eating disorder waitlists. The current study aims to assess whether implementing a virtual parent-lead therapy, Guided Self Help Family-Based Therapy (GSH FBT) might alleviate wait times for eating disorder services and also reduce eating disorder symptomatology in young people with anorexia nervosa. This study also aims to determine the experiences of both families and medical teams of GSH FBT implementation as an intervention.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Not Yet Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:12 - 100
Sex:All
90 Participants Needed
Image of trial facility.

Exposure Therapy for Anorexia

Hershey, Pennsylvania
The current proposal will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of Exposure Therapy for anorexia nervosa (AN) spectrum disorders (Exp-AN), an innovative treatment rooted in principles of inhibitory learning. Exp-AN will target anxiety about both eating and weight gain by combining in vivo (i.e., in real life) and imaginal (i.e., mental) exposure in novel ways (e.g., eating a feared food while listening to a recording describing fears about weight gain).
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 65
Sex:All
30 Participants Needed
Current treatments for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with eating disorders (EDs) do not effectively address a central ED symptom - anxiety about weight gain - which contributes to poor outcomes. The proposed study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, and underlying mechanisms of an enhanced version of "open weighing," a cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to target anxiety about weight gain in AYAs with EDs. Understanding how to better treat AYAs with EDs, and identifying the mechanisms by which interventions lead to improvement, will aid in the development of more effective and personalized treatments, ultimately improving the lives of AYAs with EDs.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:12 - 24
Sex:All
70 Participants Needed
The investigators will recruit individuals with broadly-defined AN (n = 80) who are currently in or have recently participated in higher-level eating disorder treatment (e.g., residential, partial hospitalization/day treatment, intensive outpatient treatment). Interested participants will sign consent, complete eligibility assessments, and will be randomized to receive Positive Affect Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (PAT-AN) or Psychoeducation and Behavioral Therapy (PBT) through teletherapy shortly following discharge from higher level of care. Participants can participate in most other forms of outpatient treatment while receiving the research intervention. Participants will engage in 24 weeks of PAT-AN or PBT starting in the first 3 months post-discharge. At each session, the investigators will complete brief measures assessing treatment acceptability, affect, and eating disorder symptoms. Participants will also complete an assessment battery of self-report, EMA, and neurocognitive measures evaluating primary outcomes (BMI; eating disorder symptoms), secondary outcomes (depression, anxiety, and suicidality), and presumed treatment mechanisms at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and 3-month follow-up (FU). All assessments will be remotely delivered via HIPAA-compliant platforms.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18+
Sex:All
90 Participants Needed
The goal of this multiple baseline experiment is to test the effect of a digital, gamified early intervention for eating disorders on body image flexibility and determine treatment dose. Twenty-four young women and girls (between the ages of 15-25) with eating disorder (ED) symptoms will be randomized to different baseline durations (varying between 2-6 weeks). Participants will complete eight 20-30 minute sessions of a multimedia application over 10 weeks using their home computer or mobile device. Body Image Flexibility (BIF) will be measured repeatedly using a multimodal assessment strategy (behavior, physiological and self-report) during baseline and treatment phases. The investigators will estimate the effect of the intervention on BIF and examine when change occurs and plateaus (with no discernable benefit for additional sessions) to determine treatment dose.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Active Not Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:15 - 25
Sex:All
24 Participants Needed
This trial tests a new mobile app called iACT to help people aged 16-45 who have type 1 diabetes and binge-purge eating disorders. The app aims to improve blood sugar control and reduce eating disorder symptoms by offering support and management tools. The iACT app has been previously used to facilitate the application of ACT skills in diabetes management.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:16 - 50
Sex:All
128 Participants Needed
This trial tests a new method that combines teaching emotion management skills with a type of brain stimulation. The goal is to help adults who struggle to calm down when upset and have certain mental health conditions. The brain stimulation aims to make it easier for them to learn and use these skills effectively.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18 - 55
Sex:All
240 Participants Needed
This trial is testing a mobile app designed to help people recovering from anorexia nervosa. The app uses therapy techniques to change negative thoughts and behaviors, and includes coaching and social support features to prevent relapse.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Active Not Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:18+
Sex:Female
90 Participants Needed
Individuals with eating disorders (ED) represent a high-priority clinical population, with among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder, and driven exercise (DEx) is a symptom evidenced in up to 80% of those with EDs that increases impairment and negatively impacts treatment outcome. This study will develop tasks to characterize cognitive, affective, and biological response to exercise among adolescent and young adult females with EDs and determine whether acute exercise response associates with free-living activity and DEx. This R21 project will provide foundational data to guide research and development of treatments that are more precisely targeted to the symptom of driven exercise and to ultimately improve clinical outcomes associated with EDs.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:16 - 25
Sex:Female
100 Participants Needed
This trial tests if adding Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) to Family Based Treatment (FBT) helps adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) by making their thinking more flexible. The goal is to see if this combined approach improves treatment outcomes. Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) has been developed and tested for adolescents with anorexia nervosa to improve cognitive flexibility and holistic processing.
Stay on current meds
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Active Not Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:12+
Sex:All
283 Participants Needed
Image of trial facility.

Donepezil for Anorexia

New York, New York
The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and tolerability of donepezil in a small group of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Study participants will be receiving care at the New York State Psychiatric Institute Eating Disorders Unit. Study medication will be increased from 1 mg per day to a maximum of 5 mg per day for up to 8 weeks. Participants will be closely monitored for side effects by a research psychiatrist every week, in addition to the regular clinical monitoring they receive during inpatient treatment. The study will also include assessments of habit strength to measure any changes in maladaptive eating habits over the course of the treatment.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Not Yet Recruiting
Trial Phase:Phase 2
Age:18 - 60
Sex:All
10 Participants Needed
This trial is testing two medications, olanzapine and mirtazapine, to see which one helps cancer patients keep their weight and appetite. Cancer patients often lose weight and appetite, and these drugs might help by making them feel better emotionally and physically. Olanzapine and mirtazapine have been shown to improve appetite and reduce nausea in cancer patients, which can help with weight maintenance.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Enrolling By Invitation
Trial Phase:Phase 2
Age:18+
Sex:All
170 Participants Needed
This project includes a parallel group randomized controlled trial comparing two psychological treatments: 1) Exposure-based Family Therapy (IE) vs. 2) Family Based Therapy (FBT) for low weight eating disorders with 12 month follow-up. Primary outcomes are expected body weight and clinical impairment. Three mechanisms of change (Autonomous Eating, Non-Judgmental Body Awareness, and Extinction Learning) will be examined in a process mediation models of change.
No Placebo Group
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:12 - 18
Sex:All
120 Participants Needed
This trial tests a device that sends electrical pulses to a nerve in the ear to help adolescents with eating disorders. The goal is to see if it can improve their eating behaviors by controlling hunger and fullness. Electrical stimulation of this nerve has been used in other treatments and has shown effects on weight.
Trial Details
Trial Status:Recruiting
Trial Phase:Unphased
Age:14 - 22
Sex:All
30 Participants Needed
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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Anorexia clinical trials pay?

Each trial will compensate patients a different amount, but $50-100 for each visit is a fairly common range for Phase 2–4 trials (Phase 1 trials often pay substantially more). Further, most trials will cover the costs of a travel to-and-from the clinic.

How do Anorexia clinical trials work?

After a researcher reviews your profile, they may choose to invite you in to a screening appointment, where they'll determine if you meet 100% of the eligibility requirements. If you do, you'll be sorted into one of the treatment groups, and receive your study drug. For some trials, there is a chance you'll receive a placebo. Across Anorexia trials 30% of clinical trials have a placebo. Typically, you'll be required to check-in with the clinic every month or so. The average trial length for Anorexia is 12 months.

How do I participate in a study as a "healthy volunteer"?

Not all studies recruit healthy volunteers: usually, Phase 1 studies do. Participating as a healthy volunteer means you will go to a research facility several times over a few days or weeks to receive a dose of either the test treatment or a "placebo," which is a harmless substance that helps researchers compare results. You will have routine tests during these visits, and you'll be compensated for your time and travel, with the number of appointments and details varying by study.

What does the "phase" of a clinical trial mean?

The phase of a trial reveals what stage the drug is in to get approval for a specific condition. Phase 1 trials are the trials to collect safety data in humans. Phase 2 trials are those where the drug has some data showing safety in humans, but where further human data is needed on drug effectiveness. Phase 3 trials are in the final step before approval. The drug already has data showing both safety and effectiveness. As a general rule, Phase 3 trials are more promising than Phase 2, and Phase 2 trials are more promising than phase 1.

Do I need to be insured to participate in a Anorexia medical study ?

Clinical trials are almost always free to participants, and so do not require insurance. The only exception here are trials focused on cancer, because only a small part of the typical treatment plan is actually experimental. For these cancer trials, participants typically need insurance to cover all the non-experimental components.

What are the newest Anorexia clinical trials ?

Most recently, we added Donepezil for Anorexia, Guided Self Help for Anorexia Nervosa and Self-Guided Personalized Treatment for Eating Disorders to the Power online platform.