ODP576 A pilot randomized clinical trial of intranasal oxytocin to promote weight loss in children, adolescents, and adults with hypothalamic obesity

Many individuals with brain tumors affecting the hypothalamus and pituitary gain weight excessively after tumor treatment. There is currently no FDA-approved treatment for this condition, which is called hypothalamic obesity. In animals and in some preliminary studies in humans, the hypothalamic hormone oxytocin impacts metabolism, and may be deficient in individuals with hypothalamic obesity. Therefore, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial to test the effects of 8 weeks of intranasal administration of oxytocin as compared to placebo on body weight in children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 10-<35y) with excess weight gain related to hypothalamic/pituitary brain tumors (N=13). We did not detect an effect of oxytocin on body weight or other metabolic measures. Overall oxytocin appeared well-tolerated, with most side effects being mild and not different from placebo. Our pilot study yielded several other lessons. First, affected individuals have many other medical problems. Also, individuals with hypothalamic obesity also differ from each other with respect to factors that impact body weight (e. g., appetite and eating behavior) and thus future larger studies could test different individualized dosing strategies, combination therapies, and a wider scope of outcomes to examine further the potential value of oxytocin treatment in this disorder. Keywords: Craniopharyngioma, Hypothalamic Dysfunction, Hypothalamus, Obesity, Weight Loss. Presentation: No date and time listed