Experimental drug helps patients lose 85 pounds on average, study finds
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An experimental weight-loss medication undergoing Phase 3 trials produced more significant results than currently approved drugs, Eli Lilly said Thursday.
Results showed that retatrutide led to nearly a 30% reduction in weight after two years. For patients with a body mass index over 35, that equated to an average weight loss of more than 85 pounds. Nearly two-thirds of those participants were no longer classified as obese after two years. The average starting BMI was 40, meaning participants lost at least 10 BMI points.
The study also found that fewer participants stopped taking retatrutide because of side effects compared with currently approved medicines.
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Zepbound, Eli Lillys approved weight-loss medication, generally produces up to a 21% reduction in weight before leveling off.
Current weight-loss medications use GLP-1 receptor agonists. According to the Cleveland Clinic, GLP-1 drugs manage blood sugar by triggering insulin release from the pancreas and slowing digestion, reducing the amount of glucose entering the bloodstream. They also help patients feel full after eating.
Like existing drugs, retatrutide uses GLP-1 to curb hunger cues, but it also uses glucagon, which helps the body burn stored glucose likely contributing to additional weight loss.
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Obesity is a chronic disease, and people living with obesity deserve treatment options that match the complex biology of their neurometabolic disease, said Dr. Ania Jastreboff, professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine. 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% of their body weight over two years. Importantly, treatment with retatrutide not only resulted in robust weight reduction, but also in clear improvements in assessed cardiometabolic health measures.
The study is ongoing and has not yet received regulatory approval.
