CQR-300: what the research shows
A standardized Cissus quadrangularis extract. In a 16-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial at 300 mg a day, body fat fell 10.9%, active GLP-1 rose 321% and energy intake fell 17.5%, all versus placebo.
What CQR-300 is
CQR-300 is a standardized extract of the stem of Cissus quadrangularis, a succulent vine in the grape family. Standardized means each batch is made to a fixed content of the plant's active compounds, its ketosteroids and flavonoids, so that 300 mg means the same thing every time. It is the ingredient Calla calls Micro GLP-1.
The 2026 trial
The study that matters most was published in Medicina in 2026. It was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. 248 adults were enrolled and 228 completed. One group took 300 mg of the extract a day, the other a placebo, for 16 weeks.
| Outcome | Change vs placebo | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Body fat | −10.9% | Percent body fat |
| Active GLP-1 | +321% | 13.13 to 55.33 pg/mL |
| DPP-4 activity | −17.8% | The enzyme that clears GLP-1 |
| Energy intake | −17.5% | About 514 fewer calories a day |
Three of those numbers are on every Calla page. The fourth, DPP-4, explains the second.
The mechanism the authors describe
Two things happened at once. More GLP-1 was released, and less of it was broken down. Lower DPP-4 activity means each molecule of GLP-1 survives longer in circulation, which is why the rise in active GLP-1 is so much larger than the fall in the enzyme. The authors propose further pathways, from appetite signalling to how starch is digested, and those are still being mapped. What is established is the outcome: higher active GLP-1, lower energy intake and lower body fat over 16 weeks.
Earlier studies
Cissus quadrangularis extracts were studied in a series of smaller placebo-controlled trials between 2006 and 2008, which reported reductions in body fat and improvements in metabolic markers over six to ten weeks. The 2026 trial is larger, longer and the first to measure GLP-1 and DPP-4 directly, which is why it is the one we cite.
How to read the numbers
- They are changes relative to placebo over 16 weeks, not overnight effects.
- They describe the ingredient at 300 mg a day. Calla delivers 300 mg a stick, but the trial did not test Calla.
- They are averages. Individual results vary, as they do in every trial.
- Energy intake is a measured outcome. It is the clearest sign in the data of a quieter appetite.
Safety
Cissus quadrangularis has a long history of use as food and in traditional medicine, and its extract is recognized as safe for use in food in the United States. It has been studied in placebo-controlled trials. Talk to your physician first if you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, or taking medication, including a prescription GLP-1.
In Calla
One stick a day carries 300 mg of CQR-300, the trial dose, alongside 150 mg of caffeine and 200 mg of L-theanine. A box is thirty sticks, about a month. The trial ran four of those.
Source: Medicina 62(1):41, 2026. Randomized, placebo-controlled, 16 weeks, 248 adults, 300 mg per day. A study of the ingredient, not of Calla. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.