Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug, retatrutide, has shown impressive results in mid-stage clinical trials, with patients experiencing up to 24% weight loss after almost a year, the highest reduction seen in the field. The drug mimics three hunger-regulating hormones, making it potentially more effective than existing treatments. The trial also indicated that weight loss did not plateau after 48 weeks, suggesting further potential. Eli Lilly is now recruiting for a phase III trial.
Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug, retatrutide, has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in helping patients achieve significant weight loss. According to recent results from mid-stage clinical trials, patients who received the drug experienced the highest reduction in weight observed thus far in the field of obesity treatment.
In the phase two trial, 338 adults classified as obese or overweight participated and were randomly assigned either retatrutide injections or a placebo every week. After 24 weeks, patients taking a 12-milligram dose of retatrutide lost an average of 17.5% of their body weight, equivalent to 41 pounds, while those receiving the placebo experienced a mere 1.6% weight loss. After 48 weeks, the average weight loss for retatrutide patients was 24.2%, or 58 pounds, whereas the placebo group achieved a weight loss of only 2.1%.
Importantly, the trial’s findings indicate that the average weight loss did not reach a plateau after 48 weeks, suggesting that a longer study duration could yield even more substantial results. Consequently, Eli Lilly is currently enrolling patients for a phase III trial.
Renowned endocrinologist Michael Weintraub from NYU Langone Health has described the data as indicative of retatrutide being the most effective anti-obesity medication to date. It is worth noting that Eli Lilly’s other obesity drug, Mounjaro, which is approved for type 2 diabetes, has already demonstrated weight loss of up to 21% in clinical trials.
In contrast, trials of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, a weight-loss drug, revealed weight reductions of up to 15%. Retatrutide is given as weekly injections and, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, alters patients’ eating habits and appetite by simulating particular hormones in the gut.
However, retatrutide distinguishes itself by mimicking three distinct hunger-regulating hormones: GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. This multifaceted approach appears to have more potent effects on appetite and food satisfaction, potentially contributing to its superior efficacy.
