Amal Musa, MD, is conducting a pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of adding a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) tirzepatide, to standard therapy in adults with obesity and inadequately controlled chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Growing evidence suggests that obesity-related chronic inflammation may contribute to CSU disease activity, highlighting a potential upstream therapeutic target beyond current symptom-directed treatments. In the trial, participants will receive tirzepatide or placebo for 20 weeks while continuing standard-of-care treatment. Dr. Musa’s project will assess the intervention’s preliminary effects on CSU disease activity, quality of life, and metabolic health, while generating feasibility and safety data to inform future larger trials. By targeting obesity-related inflammation as a modifiable contributor to CSU, this project has the potential to establish a novel, personalized treatment strategy that improves both disease control and overall metabolic health in this challenging patient population.
The Allergists’ Foundation 2026 Community Project Summaries