health
New weight-loss shot appears to outperform other obesity drugs on market
Eli Lilly says participants in a sizable trial of retatrutide lost much more weight compared to other weight-loss drugs
TL;DR
- Eli Lilly's retatrutide, a once-weekly triple hormone receptor agonist, achieved an average weight loss of 28.3% (70.3lb) over 80 weeks in a phase three trial.
- The trial involved 2,339 adults with obesity or overweight, with the highest doses (9mg and 12mg) showing substantial weight loss.
- Retatrutide's weight loss results appear to exceed those of other market-leading drugs like Eli Lilly's Zepbound (15-20%) and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (14-19%).
- The drug is a GLP-1 and GIP agonist, uniquely incorporating glucagon, which helps regulate metabolism, appetite, and energy.
- Reported side effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting, with incidence increasing with higher doses.
- The drug also demonstrated improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, including HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure.
- Emerging research suggests GLP-1 receptor agonists may offer benefits beyond weight loss, potentially impacting anxiety, depression, and work absences.