Late Breaking Abstract Extension Policy
– Adopted January 2020

The goal of the TOS Executive Committee is to create a mechanism to accommodate the submission of late breaking abstracts based on extremely important studies that have not yet been analyzed by the late breaking deadline but will have final results by the time of presentation. To facilitate that goal, the following has been adopted:

To Qualify for a Late Breaking Abstract Extension:

  1. The study requires analysis of results that cannot be completed before the late breaking abstract submission deadline.
  2. The inability to complete the required analysis before the standard abstract submission deadline must be communicated to TOS before the late breaking abstract deadline.
  3. The study must be of sufficient import that the results will be of high interest to ObesityWeek® attendees and the general scientific or clinical community, regardless of its outcome
  4. If accepted, failure to present the study results as anticipated in the abstract may preclude the authors or sponsors from future presentations at ObesityWeek® and/or future publications in the journal Obesity.

Steps:

  1. Submit a Late Breaking Abstract, but check the box for “EXTENSION REQUEST LETTER SUBMITTED” when submitting.
  2. Submit a deadline extension request letter addressing all qualifications to [email protected] by the late breaking abstract deadline.

Abstract Instructions:

  1. The abstract describes studies of particular importance to obesity-related research or clinical care.
  2. The abstract must include the relevant study background and summarize the study’s objective, hypotheses, and protocol, including the number of research subjects and the nature and size of the relevant data sets studied, as applicable.
  3. The abstract must describe the overall nature of the anticipated results (e.g., “The results of this study are expected to provide strong evidence for or against the efficacy and safety of X for the treatment of obesity in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease.”)
  4. The abstract must describe the types of results to be presented and the level of detail at which those results will be presented.
  5. A summary of the study protocol must be submitted in the abstract. This protocol summary must include sufficient detail to allow the Research Review Committee to assess the quality and likely importance of the study results.

Letter Instructions:

  1. Address the letter to TOS’s Science Development Committee.
  2. Letter must include the names of all study sponsors.
  3. Letter must include a commitment that all authors and study sponsors commit to presenting the data from the study at ObesityWeek®, regardless of the study outcome.
  4. Letter must demonstrate the extension qualifications (see To Qualify above.)
  5. Letter must indicate plans for study publication, including whether any journal has already agreed to publish the study or accelerate its review. In that case, a copy of the letter from the responsible editor to the author confirming the journal’s intent must be submitted with the letter.

This policy will be administered by TOS’s Science Development Committee.