We’re learning more about the super-effective “triple-G” weight loss drug retatrutide.
The drug, the first of its kind to target three metabolic receptors (GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon), is nearing the end of clinical trials and is expected to be submitted to the FDA for approval early next year.
People are already clamoring to get their hands on it. Copycats of the unapproved drug have exploded on the gray peptide market with fans from menopausal moms to looksmaxxing teens. Its maker, Eli Lilly, is even trying to tamp down on knockoffs with a flurry of lawsuits.
New data on its effectiveness is likely to only throw fuel on the fire.
Earlier this year, Eli Lilly reported the results of its Phase 3 “Triumph-4” trial, finding that patients lost an average of 28.7% of their body weight. In fact, there were higher dropout rates than in earlier trials — with at least some participants stopping because they lost too much weight.
They’ve now shared detailed data from a different Phase 3 trial, showing that even on the lowest administered dose, participants saw dramatic results.
Those who got a 4-mg injection once a week — the smallest they offered — lost an average of 29.8 pounds, or 12.7% of their body weight.
New data on retatrutide
In contrast to GLP-1s like Ozempic, which only target GLP-1 receptors, or dual agonists like Mounjaro or Zepbound, which target GLP-1 and GIP or glucagon, retatrutide targets all three: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon.
Lilly released data on three doses of retatrutide: 4 mg, 9 mg, and 12 mg.
After being on the drug for 80 weeks (a year and 8 months), participants on the lowest dose lost an average of 29.8 pounds (12.7% of their weight), the medium dose lost 45.4 pounds (19.1%), and the highest dose lost 49.6 pounds (20.8%), respectively.
What’s more, the drug is also showing great success in lowering participants A1C, or blood sugar — a marker of diabetes.
“The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes are also living with obesity, and treating the two together has always been a challenge,” said Dr. Juan P. Frías, who led the research.
“Retatrutide reduced both weight and blood sugar substantially, with more than half of participants no longer qualifying as having obesity and up to 40% reaching an A1C in the normal range.”
On the lowest dose, A1C was lowered by an average of 1.4% and with each increase in dose, A1C was lowered .1% on average.
The drug also helped with heart health. The highest dose significantly lowered triglycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure (all associated with lower risk for heart disease and stroke), waist circumference (a predictor of heart disease risk), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (a marker of future heart risk).
Retatrutide side effects
The biggest side effects Lilly noted are typical of GLP-1 drugs: gastrointestinal reactions like diarrhea (seen in 27.4% to 33.6% of participants), nausea, constipation, decreased appetite and vomiting, in order from most to least common. In general, the side effects became more common at higher doses.
Researchers also observed dyesthesia, a neurological condition that affects your sense of touch. It can feel painful or just strange — like burning, cold, pins-and-needles, itching, or wet. This happened in 4.5 to 7.3% of participants, with an increased incidence as dosing went up.
Some participants also got urinary tract infections (3.8 to 8%) with increased incidence as dosing went up.
“These events were generally mild to moderate, and the majority resolved during treatment,” researchers said.
