2025 trial to reveal the effectiveness and sustainability of Juniper UK
A newly published study design in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism has revealed a promising direction for clinical trials into the effectiveness and sustainability of health outcomes from digital weight-loss services in the UK, supported by the use of tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 RA medication.
The trial will measure the sustainability of weight loss, body composition and strength outcomes of the Juniper UK programme, compared to those from a control group who will receive standardised lifestyle counselling and tirzepatide.
Understanding the study design
The study is a randomised controlled trial of 688 participants, divided into two groups. One group will receive personalised, proactive lifestyle coaching with a focus on protein intake and resistance training. The second group will receive standardised diet and exercise counselling, designed to represent treatment in traditional clinical weight-loss trials. Both groups will receive tirzepatide therapy on the same dosing schedule.
Participants will be administered tirzepatide each week, gradually increasing their dose over 21 weeks, to investigate the effects on weight loss, fat-free to fat-mass ratio, and composite strength at 12 months (6 months after the end of their treatment). Quality of life and patient engagement will also be evaluated.
The final results will be published next year, but early recruitment data shows that more than three-quarters of participants (81%) will be women, with a mean age of 44.6 years. A significant portion of participants have weight-related comorbidities, such as dyslipidaemia (42.4%) and hypertension (35.3%), indicating that the sample reflects a population with considerable health needs.
World-first research
This will be the world’s first blinded randomised controlled trial of a real-world medicated digital weight loss service. Blinded randomised controlled trials are the gold standard of clinical research.
This study shows Juniper’s commitment to assessing the extent to which the programme delivers sustainable outcomes. This vital information will address many of the concerns about ‘weight rebound’ and fat-free mass reduction of those using dual GIP/GLP-1 RA medications.
This study is expected to provide robust evidence on the role of real-world, multidisciplinary digital weight loss services in addressing overweight and obesity – which in 2023, affected 64% of adults aged 18 and over in England – and improving overall health outcomes.
As the demand for digital health services continues to rise, the findings from this study could have significant implications for the future of obesity treatment and public health policy.
