The Glucose-Independent Effects of Exogenous Glucagon on Insulin Secretion and Cognitive Function in Healthy Subjects

What Was Tested

The trial (not phased) is built around Glucagon.

In this study the investigators will investigate the glucose-independent effects of exogenous glucagon on insulin secretion and cognitive function in healthy subjects.

Subjects will participate in two study days.

The first study day is with a 240-minute infusion of glucagon and the second study day is with an infusion of glucose (clamped to match the glucose levels measured during the glucagon infusion).

It had 1 arm (groups): Glucagon infusion followed by glucose-clamp (experimental).

The registry classes the interventions as other.

More on the Plan

Five-ten subjects with normal health will be included, and each subject will participate in two study days.

Participants will arrive after an overnight fast and will be placed in a hospital bed in a semi-recumbent position.

In each antecubital vein an intravenous catheter will be placed; one for administration of glucagon or glucose and one for blood sampling.

The first study day will be the glucagon study day.

Who Took Part

Enrollment: 15 actual participants took part.

It was open to people of any sex aged from 25 years up to 70 years.

Healthy volunteers could join, not only people with the condition.

Examples of who could join: Capable of understanding the participant information and signing the consent form. Between 25 and 70 years of age at the time of screening. Body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 kg/m2 at the time of screening. A minimum of 7 years of schooling.

The full record lists 4 inclusion and 17 exclusion criteria; among the exclusions: enrolment in other research projects that might interfere with the study; diabetes diagnosis (type 1 and 2); pregnancy or breastfeeding.

How the Study Was Run

It was run as a single-group and open-label study.

Everyone knew when Glucagon was being given (open label), which is simpler to run but leaves more room for expectations to affect what is reported.

Everyone received the same intervention, so there was no separate comparison group inside the trial.

It started in 2024-11-08 with completion listed for 2025-07-21.

It ran at 1 site in Denmark.

Its stated primary purpose is basic science.

What Was Measured

Researchers chose this as the main measure: C-peptide (0-90 minutes) (time frame: During intervention (0-90 minutes)).

It also tracked 19 secondary outcomes, for example C-peptide to glucose ratio (0-90 minutes), C-peptide to glucose ratio (0-240 minutes), C-peptide (0-240 minutes), C-peptide (0 minutes-glucose peak), C-peptide deconvolution (0-240 minutes) and Insulin (0-90 minutes).

What This Means in Plain Language

Put simply, this is a not phased trial of Glucagon in 15 people.

Its size is small, so on its own it can only give an early look.

The trial is marked completed; no results are posted to the registry yet, so nothing here describes outcomes.

More context: the Glucagon compound page, all human trials.