The highest dose of Eli Lilly’s investigational drug, retatrutide, helped adults with Type 2 diabetes lower their A1Cs about 2% and shed an average 33.3 pounds, or 15.3% of their body weight, in a clinical trial.
Retatrutide is a triple agonist, or a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon triple hormone (GCGR) receptor agonist. Bariatric experts have described these therapies as the third generation of the GLP-1 drug class, as triple agonists might deliver more weight loss than GLP-1s such as Wegovy or dual GIP-GLP-1s like Zepbound.
Currently, only GLP-1s and GIP-GLP-1s are FDA-approved for Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some weight-related conditions.
On March 19, Eli Lilly shared phase 3 trial results for retatrutide, which met its primary and secondary endpoints in significantly reducing patients’ A1Cs and body weight compared to a placebo.
The trial included 537 participants; they either received 4-milligram injectable doses each week, 9-milligram injections, 12-milligram doses or a placebo over 40 weeks. This study is part of a larger trial program with more than 2,050 participants.
Using a treatment-regimen analysis — which reflects outcomes regardless of treatment discontinuation — participants taking 12-milligram retatrutide injections lost an average of 33.3 pounds and achieved a -1.9% change in A1C.
Another phase 3 retatrutide trial, which published results in December, recorded an average 28.7% weight loss and reduced pain among adults with obesity or overweight and knee osteoarthritis.
More clinical trial results are expected over the next year, according to Eli Lilly, which did not mention a projected timeline for seeking FDA approval.
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