A weight loss drug dubbed the "triple G" drug for its effectiveness in mimicking three hunger-regulating hormones showed promising results in new data released Thursday by its maker, Eli Lilly.
In a clinical trial of more than 400 people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis, the drug, retatrutide, resulted in an average weight loss of of 71 pounds, or nearly 29% of body weight, after 16 months, according to data released by Eli Lilly.
The people who took retatrutide also reported a 76% reduction in knee pain after the 16 months, according to the data.
Eli Lilly, which also makes the weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, said it plans to complete seven additional phase 3 clinical trials of retatrutide in 2026, compiling data that will be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval, possibly for patients with Type 2 diabetes or patients with obesity and other health concerns.
Below, find out what to know about retatrutide and its potential for helping with weight loss.
Retatrutide mimics three hunger-regulating hormones: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon.
Other weight loss drugs currently on the market mimic just one or two hunger-regulating hormones.
Ozempic and Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, mimic the effects of GLP-1, a type of hormone in the body that impacts everything from the brain to muscle to the pancreas, stomach and liver, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Mounjaro and Zepbound mimic the effects of GLP-1 as well as GIP, a type of hormone that helps regulate blood sugar by stimulating insulin.
The third hormone that retatrutide mimics, glucagon, is a hormone that promotes fat burning, even at rest.
Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved by the FDA to treat Type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy and Zepbound are approved by the FDA to treat people with overweight and obesity. As with any prescription medication, individuals should speak with a health care provider about whether any of these medications may help them.
No, retatrutide hasn't been compared to medications like Mounjaro or Ozempic in clinical trials using the same variables.
Retatrutide would, however, be expected to lead to more weight loss, more quickly, given both its ability to mimic three hunger-regulating hormones and the data released by Eli Lilly so far.
Retatrutide is taken as a weekly injection, according to Eli Lilly.
The exact date of when retatrutide will be available by prescription is not yet known.
The timing depends on the FDA's rigorous review process of the clinical trial data on retatrutide once it is submitted, however, it is unlikely to be approved and available until at least late 2026 and possibly into 2027 or 2028.
Yes, the most common side effects of retatrutide include nausea and stomach issues.
Those side effects are consistent with what is reported by users of other weight loss drugs like Mounjaro and Ozempic.
The most commonly reported side effects of medications used for weight loss are nausea and constipation, but gallbladder and pancreatic disease are also reported. The makers of these drugs recommend having a conversation about the side effect profile and personalized risks with a health care professional before starting.
