Full Service Clinical Development for Metabolic Diseases and Obesity

Start Fast. Scale Seamlessly.

The obesity and metabolic pipeline is moving faster than any therapeutic area in history — 600+ compounds in development, new mechanisms entering the clinic every quarter, and sponsors who need clean data on timelines that don’t slip. 

We’re built for that pace.

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development team.

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Our dedicated metabolic and obesity teams deliver:

  • Early phase through Phase III continuity with the same senior team
  • A 200-bed clinical pharmacology unit purpose-built for FIH through dose-finding
  • Proven agility to pivot protocols, manage interim analyses, and accelerate end-of-study delivery
  • Deep GLP-1, incretin, and next-generation anti-obesity drug expertise

From FIH to global registrational trials, we deliver metabolic and obesity programs with the scientific depth and operational speed your investors and your patients require.

Metabolic & Obesity Challenges We Solve Every Day

Results that matter to your timeline, pipeline, and investors.

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Seamless Early to Late Phase Continuity

We are the only CRO in the metabolic space offering integrated continuity from first-in-human through global Phase II/III, powered by our 200-bed San Antonio CPU, global site network, and dedicated metabolic teams that stay on your program from kickoff through database lock.

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Deep GLP-1 and Next-Generation Anti-Obesity Drug Expertise

From GLP-1 receptor agonists and GLP-1/GIP dual agonists to triple agonists, amylin combinations, and oral formulations, our teams have direct experience supporting clinical programs across incretin therapies. We understand the protocol design, endpoint selection, and regulatory needs these mechanisms require.

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Consistently Accelerated End-of-Study Delivery

We have a proven track record of completing end-of-study data packages ahead of contracted timelines across multiple metabolic and obesity programs. When your funding round or acquisition timeline depends on clean data, we deliver.

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Site Intelligence Built for Modern Obesity Populations

Our site networks track patients’ medical histories and longitudinal weight-management journeys, which are critical for recruiting post-GLP-1 plateau populations, healthy obese volunteers (BMI ≥30), and overweight cohorts. Strategic site selection informed by real patient pathways, not transactional clinic databases.

The Numbers Behind Our Metabolic Study Experience

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Countries Across All Regions  

Start Fast. Scale Seamlessly. Full Metabolic & Obesity Development Support.

Talk to a Metabolic & Obesity Expert 

Early Development

Phase I & Clinical Pharmacology

  • FIH studies
  • SAD/MAD
  • PK/PD characterization
  • Food effect and drug-drug interaction studies
  • Bioequivalence studies
  • Thorough QT (QTc) studies
  • Normal healthy volunteer and healthy obese (BMI ≥30) recruitment
  • Integrated bioanalytical laboratory (2,000+ validated methods)

Late Stage

Phase II–IV & Global Programs

  • Global registrational trials
  • Cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) for obesity drugs
  • Adaptive and complex trial designs
  • Endpoint adjudication for MACE and composite endpoints
  • Multi-country regulatory submissions (FDA, EMA, and PMDA)
  • Real-world evidence and post-marketing studies
  • Pediatric obesity and adolescent trial expertise

Metabolic-Specific Capabilities

Therapeutic Area Depth

  • GLP-1, GLP-1/GIP, and triple agonist program support
  • Oral anti-obesity medication development
  • MASH/MASLD clinical trial design with non-invasive prescreening
  • Type 1 and 2 diabetes programs
  • Lipid disorders and metabolic syndrome
  • CKM (cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic) syndrome trials
  • Body composition endpoints (DXA/MRI)
  • Digital biomarker integration
  • Obesity-specific patient engagement and retention strategies

We Know What Metabolic & Obesity Sponsors Are Thinking

And we’ve built our model to address it head-on.

We hear this from every obesity biotech. Our governance model eliminates the weeks-long approval chains you’ve experienced at large CROs. We’ve pivoted entire trial plans in under a week — including interim analyses, protocol amendments, and ad hoc investor-driven data requests — without introducing delays. Your milestones become our milestones.

We run multi-country Phase III programs across our global site network. But unlike the large CROs, we do it without the operational drag, staff turnover, and handoffs that cost you months. We deliver leaner, smarter Phase III execution, the team at your bid defense is the team that runs your trial.

Our teams have supported clinical programs across the incretin landscape — GLP-1 receptor agonists, dual agonists, triple agonists, amylin combinations, and oral formulations. We understand the endpoint selection, weight regain dynamics, post-GLP-1 plateau populations, and cardiovascular outcome requirements that define this drug class.

We’re the only CRO in the metabolic space offering seamless continuity from FIH through global Phase III. Our 200-bed CPU handles your early phase work, and the same scientific and operational team transitions you to late-stage execution. No handoffs, no knowledge loss, no starting over.

What Metabolic Sponsors Say

Your experience is important to us.

“We were looking for a CRO to partner with for our clinical trials. We selected WCT because we felt it was the CRO that would be the best fit for us and become an extension of our team. We were not looking for a unicorn CRO but a long-term partner for our development program and we indeed found it in Worldwide.”

Obesity Biotech Sponsor

“Our second trial was set-up and executed in record time and this was because of the strong foundation we had established with Worldwide.”

Obesity Biotech Sponsor

“Overall, Worldwide has been my favorite CRO to work with, and I’ll gladly recommend your team in the future.”

Obesity Biotech Sponsor

Who We Partner With in Metabolic & Obesity

We understand that different sponsors have different pressures — and we’ve built our model around them.

Emerging Obesity Biotech

You’re developing a next-generation anti-obesity compound and every milestone matters to your investors. You need a CRO that compensates for a lean internal team, moves at the speed your funding demands, and delivers data that’s acquisition-ready. Senior attention from day one.

Large Pharma / Biosimilar Developers

Comparator arms | Biosimilar development | Line extensions

You need a specialized CRO for metabolic comparator arms, GLP-1 biosimilar programs, or indication-expansion studies that don’t justify your preferred vendor’s full machinery. We offer the therapeutic depth of a specialist with the infrastructure to deliver global programs.

Mid-Stage Biotech / Biopharma

Phase II-III | Multi-Asset Portfolio | Global Ambitions

You’re scaling from proof-of-concept to registrational trials and need a partner who can execute multi-country programs without the overhead and bureaucracy of a top-5 CRO. You need global reach with biotech-speed decision-making, and a team that won’t hand you off once the study starts.

Your Metabolic & Obesity Leadership Team

Talk to a Metabolic & Obesity Expert

Alessandra Vignola

Senior Vice President, Cardiovascular & Metabolic

Seasoned pharmaceutical and clinical research leader with 30+ years experience guiding cardiometabolic programs across oncology, hematology, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and immunology.

Juliana (Judith) Hey-Hadavi, DDS, MD, MSc

Vice President, Medical Affairs

Internationally recognized physician-executive with 20+ years’ leadership in global medical affairs, clinical innovation, and drug development across cardiovascular, metabolic, neurology, and immunology.

Casey Ustick

Therapeutic Strategy Lead, Metabolic

Therapeutic strategy leader in metabolic programs, integrating science, operations, and commercial insight to guide successful clinical development strategies.

MarieElena Cordisco, MA, APRN, NP-C

Senior Director, Therapeutic Strategy Lead, Metabolic

Clinical research leader and nurse practitioner with 20+ years’ experience in endocrinology and cardiometabolic trials, advancing patient-centered research and care.

Natalia Castro

Executive Director, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Business Unit

Executive director with 20+ years’ experience leading cardiovascular and metabolic clinical trials, specializing in obesity research, ensuring quality, compliance, and innovation.

Rafal Ziecina, MD, PhD

Executive Director, Scientific Solutions, Cardiovascular, Endocrine & Metabolic

Executive Director of Scientific Solutions with 20+ years’ pharmaceutical research experience leading cardiovascular and metabolic initiatives, regulatory strategy, safety, and development planning.

Searching for the right CRO partner to help with your clinical development needs?

At Worldwide Clinical Trials, we deliver high-quality, reliable, and timely clinical trial services to help optimize the success of your projects. For the second year in a row, data from the Industry Standard Research (ISR) report showed that Worldwide Clinical Trials was the highest-rated Phase II/III CRO across several categories.