OEA and LipiSperse Metabolic Study
do you have an elevated BMI? If you are an adult aged 30 years and over, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial investigating the effect that oea and lipisperse has on metabolic pathways involved in glucose regulation.
Please note: This page is a summary of the study outline and participant requirements. A full Participant Information Sheet with detailed information will be provided to you before you are asked to give your consent to participate.
Why is this study being conducted?
OEA (oleoylethanolamide) is naturally produced by the body and plays an important role in regulating hunger and energy use. LipiSperse is a novel delivery system that uses dispersion technology to enhance bioavailability of hydrophobic agents. We aim to compare the metabolic effects of OEA and LipiSperse to a placebo.
Previous studies have shown that OEA may help reduce appetite and promote fat metabolism by altering GLP-1 and GIP concentrations and LipiSperse has previously been shown to help increase the absorption of hydrophobic agents. However, more studies are needed to confirm these effects and better understand how OEA and LipiSperse works in individuals with varying body types. Through this research, we hope to better understand the role that OEA and LipiSperse could have as a possible supplement for weight management and metabolic health.
How long is the study, and when does it start?
Your involvement in this study will be to attend 2 full-day clinic visits at the RDC Clinical site in Fortitude Valley. Each clinic visit will take approximately 9 hours. Visits will occur no less than one week apart from each other.
We will confirm the specific dates of your clinic visits during your initial phone screening.
All requirements of the study will be completed during your clinic visits. There are no overnight stays required and you will not be required to take any study product at home.
Dates for this study – please note you can choose either of the Groups below but must be able to attend both dates for your study group:
Group 1
Visit 1 – Friday October 23rd – 7am to approximately 4pm
Visit 2 – Friday October 30th – 7am to approximately 4pm
Group 2
Visit 1 – Friday November 6th – 7am to approximately 4pm
Visit 2 – Friday November 13th – 7am to approximately 4pm
Please see below for more information. You can also register your interest using the formon this page.
About the product you’ll help investigate…
This study is designed to examine the effects of a natural compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and LipiSperse compared to a placebo over an 8 hour period. OEA is naturally produced by the body and plays an important role in regulating hunger and energy use.
It is hypothesised that OEA and LipiSperse will increase the hormone GLP-1 and decrease the hormone GIP, resulting in better regulation of blood sugar and insulin levels.
The product will be supplied in capsule form, and participants will be required to take one (1) capsule at the beginning of each study visit.
There are two different products in this study: 150 mg OEA and LipiSperse supplement (containing 125 mg OEA and 13.9 mg LipiSperse) and a placebo. Placebos are designed to look like the real product being studied except they do not contain the active ingredient. Using a placebo helps us to be confident that any effects we measure in the active group really are due to the active ingredient and not due to the body’s own reaction to a perceived treatment.
This study uses a cross-over design, meaning you will receive both OEA and LipiSperse and the placebo during the trial. To reduce bias, you will not know the order you receive the capsules, but an example of what your study program could be is below…
- Clinic Visit 1 – Placebo
- Clinic Visit 2 – OEA and LipiSperse
During each session, you won’t know which product you’ve been allocated. However, this information will be available to you after upon completion of the study or at any time if it is necessary for your care.
What is required of participants?
Your involvement in the study will be for approximately 2-3 weeks, however, during this time you will only need to attend for two 9-hour daytime clinic sessions. There are no overnight stays required in this study, nor will you be required to take study product at home between the 2 sessions.
During the study, you will be asked to:
- Attend our clinic twice for a 9-hour visit.
- Take the study product (as 1 capsule) once at the beginning of each visit.
- Have blood draws taken throughout each visit (via a cannula in your arm).
The information we collect during the study will enable the investigators to assess the product’s potential to improve metabolic health.
During each 9-hour visit, you will be provided with food and snacks, and you are welcome to bring your own device to pass the time. Please note that not all diets will be able to be catered to. If you do require a specific diet, please let us know at the time of screening. If you are planning to use your device, we do ask that participants to bring headphones so as not to disturb other participants.
Please note: This page is a summary of the study outline and participant requirements. A full Participant Information Sheet with detailed information will be provided to you before you are asked to give your consent to participate.
Compensation
Upon completion of the study requirements, you will be eligible for a $400 payment for your time and travel expenses. The payment will be made by gift voucher or via direct deposit to your nominated bank account (your choice) once all study requirements have been met. Please note, that as payment needs to be processed after your completion and via our payment portal, please allow 5-7 business days after completion to receive payment.
Pro rata payments are also available in the case of early withdrawal as detailed in the participant information sheet that will be provided to you.
If you are interested in participating, we’d love to hear from you. Please register your interest by answering the questionnaire and completing the form on this page…we’ll then get in touch to screen you for eligibility.
Study Location
Our clinic is centrally located on Level 3, 252 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley.
Due to limited availability, there will not be on-site parking provided for this study. However, our clinic is a 10 minute walk from Fortitude Valley train station, and there are multiple bus stops within close proximity.
Check if you can register to take part…
- Adults 30 years old and over
- BMI between 25.0 and 34.9 kg/m2 (you can check your BMI using the calculator below)
- Generally healthy, including:
- Not currently diagnosed with diabetes or any other blood sugar/insulin regulation problems
- Not taking any medication or supplements that affect metabolism, blood sugar or insulin (eg. GLP-1/GIP related treatments)
- Not pregrant or breastfeeding
- Not an active smoker
- Able to provide informed consent
- Able to commit to completing the study requirements
BMI Calculator
Ethics approval and privacy
This study has been approved by the University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee under Approval Number: 2026-07-1328. The study is also registered on the clinicaltrials.gov under Registration Number: NCT07850466
Trained trial coordinators will supervise your progress throughout the study. Your results will be made available to you at the conclusion of the study. Any of your personal information collected during the study will be kept in the strictest confidence.
