Disease × agent evidence record

Metoprolol for Obesity: evidence, trials and status

Metoprolol has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Obesity. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit.

7 registered trials 1 recruiting 10 publications Evidence tier A · Strong Score 68.5
Research Tracker › Pairs › Obesity › Metoprolol
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Metoprolol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 7 registered trials linking Metoprolol to Obesity: 1 is currently recruiting; 2 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT04049786). The largest enrolment is 343 participants (NCT00993421). Registration activity spans 2002 to 2021. The literature layer holds 10 publications for this pair: 4 Cochrane reviews, 1 meta-analysis and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2002 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.

The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Obesity ranks 368 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Sustained weight loss of >5% without intervention: ~5-10% at 2 years; weight regain almost universal after behavioural intervention alone (95% return to within 5% of starting weight at 5 years on lifestyle alone).

Open in Repurposing ExplorerObesity hubObesity biomarkers & interventionsChEMBLOpen Targets

Evidence table

Evidence tierA · Strong
Evidence score68.5 (trials 18.5, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0)
Registered trials7 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 4 other
Linked publications10 (5 clinical trial publications, 4 Cochrane reviews, 1 meta-analysis)
Agent typeDrug (Small molecule)
Development stage (any indication)Approved
Mechanism / classNot recorded
Data sourcesOpen Targets, ChEMBL
Linked via biomarker / targetADCY3
How the evidence score is calculated
  • Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
  • Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
  • The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
  • Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
  • The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.

Registered clinical trials

NCT IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT04049786Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Pharmacokinetic Study of Simvastatin and Carvedilol
2019
status unknownPhase 4120
NCT00679653Blood Pressure and Weight Trajectory on a Dual Antihypertensive Combination Plus Sibutramine Versus Placebo in Obese Hypertensives
2002
completedPhase 3171
NCT0384507548 Weeks, Study to Evaluate Overall Safety and Tolerability of Co-administration of Tesofensine and Metoprolol in Subjects With Hypothalamic Injury-induced Obesity (HIO)
2019
completedPhase 221
NCT00993421A Weight Loss Study in Overweight Men and Women
2009
terminatedPhase 2343
NCT05198362Study of Tesomet With Open-label Extension in Subjects With Prader-Willi Syndrome
2021
withdrawnPhase 2—
NCT05147415Study of Tesomet With Open-label Extension in Subjects With Hypothalamic Obesity (HO)
2021
withdrawnPhase 2—
NCT03519906Bariatric Surgery and Pharmacokinetics of Metoprolol
2016
recruitingNot applicable12

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ADCY3. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Metoprolol approved for Obesity?

Metoprolol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Metoprolol in clinical trials for Obesity?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 7 registered trials linking Metoprolol to Obesity: 1 is currently recruiting; 2 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT04049786). The largest enrolment is 343 participants (NCT00993421). Registration activity spans 2002 to 2021.

What does the evidence show for Metoprolol in Obesity?

Metoprolol has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Obesity. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ADCY3. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Metoprolol for Obesity: evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/obesity/metoprolol.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.