TL;DR
Get workout gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The phase III TRIUMPH-2 trial found average weight loss of 11.9% to 18.8% after 80 weeks among adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes receiving retatrutide, compared with 5.1% on placebo. The investigational drug also reduced HbA1c; gastrointestinal effects were common, and Eli Lilly plans to submit data to the FDA in early 2027.
The phase III TRIUMPH-2 trial found that adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes taking investigational retatrutide lost an average of 11.9% to 18.8% of their body weight over 80 weeks, depending on dose, compared with 5.1% among participants receiving placebo. The results, presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting and published in The Lancet, also showed reductions in HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar, but retatrutide is not approved for use.
The double-blind trial enrolled 1,152 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, assigning participants to once-weekly injections of retatrutide at 4 mg, 9 mg or 12 mg, or to placebo. In the treatment regimen estimand, which reflects outcomes under the trial’s treatment-policy approach, mean weight changes at week 80 were 11.9% (28.4 pounds) with 4 mg, 16.8% (40.3 pounds) with 9 mg and 18.8% (45.6 pounds) with 12 mg. The placebo group lost an average of 5.1% (12.8 pounds).
A separate efficacy estimand, which assumes participants took the study medication as intended and excludes certain events that can affect treatment evaluation, showed weight loss of up to 20.8% with the highest dose. That figure uses a different analysis and should not be confused with the 18.8% treatment-regimen result. The study authors reported that up to 40% of retatrutide-treated participants reached normoglycemia, defined as HbA1c below 5.7%.
Mean HbA1c fell by 1.38 to 1.50 percentage points across the retatrutide dose groups, compared with 0.45 points with placebo, on top of participants’ existing diabetes treatment. The researchers also reported improvements in measures including waist circumference, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. These are trial findings; the study did not establish that retatrutide prevents diabetes complications or cardiovascular events.
Weight Loss in Diabetes Care
Weight management can be harder for people with type 2 diabetes than for people without the condition, and the trial authors describe a need for more effective weight-loss options in this group. The reported results are relevant because the highest-dose treatment-regimen average, 18.8% at 80 weeks, is substantial in this population and was accompanied by lower HbA1c. The combination of weight and blood-sugar changes may make retatrutide a candidate for further study in people who need to address both outcomes.
However, the results do not show that retatrutide is better than other medicines: TRIUMPH-2 did not include an active comparator. Comparisons with results from separate trials of semaglutide or tirzepatide cannot establish which medicine performs best because the studies may differ in participants, methods and analysis. Retatrutide’s potential benefits must also be weighed against side effects, and its safety and effectiveness have not yet been reviewed for approval.
glucose monitoring devices for diabetes
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How TRIUMPH-2 Was Run
TRIUMPH-2 was conducted at 92 medical and research centers in eight countries. Participants had a BMI of at least 27, HbA1c between 6.5% and 10.5%, and stable treatment with up to three oral glucose-lowering medicines before enrollment. They also had a history of attempts to lose weight through diet. At the start of the study, average BMI was 38.2 and average HbA1c was 7.71%.
Retatrutide is an investigational triple agonist that acts on receptors for GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. The study’s presenting investigator, Juan P. Frias, said the approach engages more than one hormone pathway involved in appetite and metabolism. The trial compared retatrutide with placebo, not with an approved weight-loss or diabetes medicine, and did not measure how much lost weight was fat versus lean mass.
“We know that people with type 2 diabetes lose less weight than people without diabetes.”
— Juan P. Frias, MD, presenting investigator at the EASD meeting
weight loss injections for obesity
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Safety and Trial Limits
Gastrointestinal events, mainly nausea, diarrhea and constipation, were the most frequent adverse events. Between 3% and 11% of participants in the retatrutide groups stopped treatment because of adverse events, compared with 5% in the placebo group; discontinuations specifically due to gastrointestinal symptoms were 0% to 2% with retatrutide and 1% with placebo. Hypotension and dysesthesia were reported more often in retatrutide groups.
Seven participants died during the trial, including participants across the retatrutide and placebo groups. The study report said the deaths were judged unrelated to the study interventions. The trial did not include an active drug comparison or body-composition data to distinguish fat loss from lean-mass loss. Longer-term outcomes, how results compare directly with other medicines, and the full safety profile remain unknown.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
FDA Submission Planned for 2027
Eli Lilly said it plans to submit the trial data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in early 2027. The company’s stated plan is a future regulatory step, not an indication that the FDA has approved retatrutide or reached a decision on it. Any review would assess the submitted evidence, including efficacy and safety.
Until that process advances, retatrutide remains investigational and unapproved. The TRIUMPH-2 findings provide results from an 80-week trial, but do not answer questions about longer-term effects or the medicine’s performance against active treatments.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
How much weight did participants lose on retatrutide?
At week 80, average weight loss in the treatment-regimen analysis ranged from 11.9% with 4 mg to 18.8% with 12 mg. Participants on placebo lost an average of 5.1%. A separate efficacy analysis reported up to 20.8% loss with the highest dose.
Did retatrutide improve blood sugar in the trial?
Yes. Mean HbA1c fell by 1.38 to 1.50 percentage points in the retatrutide groups, compared with 0.45 points with placebo, alongside participants’ existing diabetes therapy. The study also reported that up to 40% of treated participants reached HbA1c below 5.7%.
Is retatrutide approved?
No. Retatrutide remains an investigational medicine. Eli Lilly said it plans to submit data to the FDA in early 2027; no approval decision is reported in the source material.
What side effects were reported?
The most frequent adverse events were nausea, diarrhea and constipation. Hypotension and dysesthesia occurred more often in retatrutide groups. The trial report said deaths during the study were judged unrelated to the interventions.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
