The numbers on the scale may be shrinking, but the buzz around Eli Lilly\u2019s experimental obesity and diabetes drug is only getting bigger.<\/p>\n
Newly released data shows the yet-to-be-approved shot helped patients shed more than twice as much weight as Ozempic\u2019s highest approved dose in a head-to-head clinical trial.<\/p>\n
The next-generation treatment, called retatrutide, also outperformed its rival at lowering blood sugar, boosting its blockbuster potential in the increasingly crowded obesity and diabetes market<\/a>.<\/p>\n Clinical trial results suggest that Eli Lilly\u2019s new experimental drug may help patients shed weight, control their blood sugar and improve other cardiovascular risk factors. Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cHead-to-head trials show patients and physicians how a potential new medicine compares with treatments that are available and reimbursed today,\u201d Dr. Kenneth Custer, Lilly\u2019s executive vice president, said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on these results and those from across our Phase 3 program, we believe retatrutide, if approved, could shift the treatment paradigm for people living with type 2 diabetes, obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n The experimental shot is the latest heavy hitter in Lilly\u2019s drug pipeline. If approved, it would join the company\u2019s popular treatments Mounjaro<\/a> and Zepbound<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both of those drugs work by mimicking two gut hormones \u2014 GLP-1 and GIP \u2014 that help regulate blood sugar, curb appetite and slow digestion.<\/p>\n Retatrutide takes the science a step further. Nicknamed \u201cTriple G<\/a>,\u201d it targets those same two pathways while also activating glucagon, a third hormone involved in fat burning. <\/p>\n Eli Lilly\u2019s retatrutide has been nicknamed \u201cTriple G\u201d because it mimics three hormones related to digestion, appetite and fat burning. Getty Images<\/p>\n The latest trial pitted two weekly doses of retatrutide \u2014 9 milligrams and 12 milligrams \u2014 against a 2-milligram dose of Novo Nordisk\u2019s Ozempic, the drug\u2019s highest approved dose for type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n Nearly 1,300 adults with type 2 diabetes participated in the study. At the outset, their average A1C \u2014 a measure of blood sugar levels over roughly the previous three months \u2014 was 8.3%.<\/p>\n After 80 weeks, participants taking either dose of retatrutide saw their A1C fall by an average of 2.2 percentage points, compared with a 1.8-point drop among those taking Ozempic.<\/p>\n The drug made an even bigger splash on the scale. <\/p>\n Patients taking the 9-milligram dose of retatrutide shed an average of 44.3 pounds, or 19.5% of their body weight. Those on the 12-milligram dose lost an average of 47.4 pounds, or 20.9%.<\/p>\n Ozempic, meanwhile, helped participants lose an average of 20.9 pounds, or 9.4% of their body weight.<\/p>\n Lilly said its experimental drug also outperformed Ozempic on several cardiovascular risk factors, including non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure. <\/p>\n As with other drugs in the GLP-1 family, retatrutide\u2019s most common side effects involved the gastrointestinal<\/a> tract.<\/p>\n Digestive problems were generally similar between the two groups, though diarrhea was slightly more common among retatrutide users, while constipation cropped up more often among those taking Ozempic.<\/p>\n Retatrutide users also reported somewhat higher rates of dysesthesia<\/a>, an unusual sensation that can feel like tingling, burning or skin that\u2019s on fire.<\/p>\n Lilly said most adverse events were mild to moderate and typically resolved during treatment.<\/p>\n Still, more patients dropped out of the trial while taking retatrutide than Ozempic. Discontinuation rates were 4.8% for the 9-milligram dose and 7.9% for the 12-milligram dose, compared with 2.7% for Ozempic.<\/p>\n Americans\u2019 use of GLP-1s for weight loss has nearly quadrupled since 2024, according to Gallup polling. millaf (Nemchinova) \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The latest results add to a growing body of evidence that retatrutide could be a major contender in the next generation of obesity drugs.<\/p>\n In an earlier trial involving people with obesity or who were overweight, participants taking the highest dose \u2014 12 milligrams weekly \u2014 lost an average of 71.2 pounds, or 28.7% of their body weight, over 68 weeks.<\/p>\n The drug also made headlines in February<\/a> after reports of higher dropout rates raised questions about tolerability, with some participants reportedly concerned about how much weight they were losing.<\/p>\n The medication has earned the nickname \u201cKing Kong\u201d for its potency. But research suggests patients may not need to go all the way to the top dose to see substantial results.<\/p>\n In another study<\/a>, participants taking a lower 4-milligram dose lost an average of 29.8 pounds, or 12.7% of their body weight, over 80 weeks.<\/p>\n Lilly expects to submit retatrutide to the Food and Drug Administration for approval early next year. But in the meantime, some consumers aren\u2019t waiting for the government\u2019s blessing<\/a>. <\/p>\n Unapproved versions of retatrutide have flooded the gray-market peptide space<\/a>, attracting everyone from menopausal women<\/a> to \u201clooksmaxxing\u201d teens<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lilly has warned against using these knockoffs and is suing multiple companies it accuses of illegally selling versions of its drug.<\/p>\n The FDA has also cautioned consumers about these products often marketed online as \u201cfor research use only,\u201d warning that they may pose serious health risks.<\/p>\n