Pharmacotherapy and lifestyle support to prevent weight regain after bariatric surgery
Official title: Pharmacotherapy in conjunction with lifestyle counseling for management of weight regain after bariatric surgery (PROJECT-BARI)
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11399771 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large, well-designed trial tests whether adding medication to lifestyle coaching can help people keep weight off after bariatric surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | August 6, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $685,562 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK129936-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399771 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have experienced weight regain after bariatric surgery and are eligible for pharmacotherapy plus lifestyle counseling.
✕Less likely to help
Those who do not respond to pharmacotherapy or have contraindications to the study medications may not experience benefits.
What this research studies
After bariatric surgery, many patients regain weight over time. This trial tests a combination of weight-loss drugs and ongoing diet and activity coaching to see if it can prevent regain. It uses a SMART design to adjust treatment based on early response, enrolling 120 adults at risk of regain. All participants receive ongoing diet and lifestyle counseling, regardless of group. The study aims to identify effective pharmacotherapy strategies to sustain the benefits of bariatric surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could have a proven option to maintain weight loss after bariatric surgery and improve related health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior small studies suggest potential benefits of drug-assisted weight management, but robust RCT data for post-bariatric weight regain are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gadde, Kishore M — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Gadde, Kishore M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.