An experimental new weight loss drug may be even more powerful than the GLP-1 medications currently available. Retatrutide, a highly anticipated treatment from Eli Lilly, has successfully passed a critical late-stage trial in patients with obesity, the pharmaceutical company announced on Thursday.
Impressive Weight Reduction Results
At its highest dose, retatrutide enabled patients to lose an average of 28.3 percent of their body weight—equivalent to roughly 70.3 pounds—over an 80-week period. Notably, more than 45 percent of participants shed over 30 percent of their body weight, a reduction comparable to that achieved through bariatric surgery.
In an extension of the study involving patients with a BMI of 35 or above, the highest dose resulted in an average weight loss exceeding 30 percent over approximately 104 weeks, according to the drugmaker.
Expert Commentary
“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 percent of their body weight over two years,” said Dr. Ania Jastreboff, who led the study. “Importantly, treatment with retatrutide not only resulted in robust weight reduction, but also in clear improvements in assessed cardiometabolic health measures. For patients I see in clinic, retatrutide may potentially be a highly impactful future tool to treat their obesity and transform their health trajectory.”
Next Steps for Approval
Eli Lilly has not yet submitted retatrutide for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but the company anticipates doing so as early as this year.
