All applicants will be initially screened by phone and/or electronically to determine whether they potentially meet eligibility criteria. Those who appear to meet eligibility criteria and remain interested in the trial will be scheduled for an in-person interview.
The in-person interview will be conducted by a psychologist or Masters' level staff member, who will obtain informed consent and evaluate subjects' behavioral eligibility (i.e., willingness and appropriateness to participate) using structured and semi-structured clinical interviews including: an examination of the applicants' BED symptoms, their mood, suicidality, and other general psychopathology. Participants will also be asked to complete questionnaires assessing eating behavior, demographic characteristics, frequency of specific eating behaviors related to loss of control, risk of substance dependence with the consumption of high fat/sugar foods, alexithymia, night eating syndrome, sleep patterns and quality, and attitudes towards food cravings.
Subjects who remain interested and pass this portion of the assessment will proceed to meet with the study physician or nurse practitioner, who will obtain a medical history and conduct a physical examination to determine medical eligibility. Subjects will also have an electrocardiogram (EKG), fasting blood test, and a urine pregnancy test (for females of child bearing age) to confirm eligibility.
Upon successful completion of the screening visit, subjects will be asked to eat as they normally would for 2 weeks. Once per week over these two weeks they will receive a brief survey through REDcap to assess their binge eating episodes for eligibility.
Subjects who continue to meet eligibility criteria assessed at the screening visit and during the run-in period will be scheduled for a randomization visit at the Center within 3 weeks of their screening.
Subjects will be randomly assigned to the two interventions in equal numbers (i.e., 1:1 ratio). The subject's weight, blood pressure, and pulse will then be measured. Following randomization, all subjects will have a medical visit with the study physician or nurse practitioner who will instruct them in the use of liraglutide 3.0 (as described later) and provide the first month's supply of medication.
After randomization, subjects will return at week 1 to assess rate of response. Subjects will return for study visits every two weeks thereafter, at weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17.
These study visits include a brief medical visit (10-15 minutes) with a physician or nurse practitioner to monitor their response to the medication or any changes in health. Vitals and weight will be taken. Additionally, binge episodes, mood, suicidality, and symptom improvement will be assessed by the psychologist or Masters' level trained study staff. Participants will be asked also to complete questionnaires assessing quality of life, obsessions related to food, and food cravings prior to each treatment visit for the secondary outcomes:
In summary, study visits will consist of the medical visit, completion of written surveys, review of structured interviews with the study staff and review of medication adverse events. These visits are expected to last about 30-40 minutes. The study assessments at week 17 will consist of the previously listed procedures and measures in addition to the questionnaires and blood tests conducted at baseline.
