New Delhi: A new drug for obesity and metabolic dysfunction has delivered positive results in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
Retatrutide by Eli Lilly, a hormone receptor agonist, targets three metabolic pathways by activating the receptors for GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon. In doing so, the once-weekly medicine can lower food intake, improve glucose control, and increase calorie burning.
The trial found that all doses of retatrutide—4 mg, 9 mg, and 12 mg—delivered clinically meaningful weight loss over 80 weeks.
Participants in the trial taking retatrutide 9 mg lost an average of 29.2 kg or 25.9 per cent of their body weight. Those taking the 12 mg dose lost around 31.9 kg or 28.3 per cent of body weight.
“Obesity is a chronic disease, and people living with obesity deserve treatment options that match the complex biology of their neurometabolic disease,” said Dr Ania Jastreboff, Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics (Endocrinology) at the Yale School of Medicine and lead investigator.
Named TRIUMPH‑1, the study randomised 2,339 participants in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive either retatrutide 4 mg, 9 mg, 12 mg, or placebo. Participants who were randomised to the drug initiated treatment with a 2 mg dose, which was increased every four weeks until reaching the target dose.
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‘Highly impactful future tool’
As many as 65.3 per cent of participants taking retatrutide 12 mg achieved a BMI of lower than 30, falling under the threshold for obesity at 80 weeks. The figure includes 37.5 per cent of participants who started with class 3 obesity, with BMI greater than 40.
“It was impressive to see that every dose of retatrutide resulted in clinically meaningful weight reduction for nearly all participants, and people with severe obesity on the highest dose lost on average 30% of their body weight over two years,” Jastreboff added.
The degree of weight loss achieved is significantly large for a late-stage obesity drug. Retatrutide could prove to be a milestone in treating obesity. It has also left Elon Musk curious.
Retardatide sounds amazing. Side effects may include … ? 🤷♂️
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 22, 2026
The drug also showed significant improvements in several cardiovascular risk factors: waist circumference, non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).
“For patients I see in clinic, retatrutide may potentially be a highly impactful future tool to treat their obesity and transform their health trajectory,” Jastreboff said.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)