A new experimental weight-loss drug has shown impressive results, achieving greater weight loss than current drugs such as Ozempic, according to an announcement by the drug's manufacturer, Eli Lilly, on Thursday.
At its highest dose, the drug retatrutide helped study participants lose 28.3% of their weight over 80 weeks, an average of about 32 kilograms.
Retatrutide phase 3 obesity trial just came out and the results are truly insane:
What's even more exciting is that more than 45% of participants lost more than 30% of their weight, a percentage that is almost equivalent to what obesity surgeries achieve.
Patients who were severely obese (body mass index 35 or higher) and participated in an extended phase of the study were able to lose more than 30% of their weight over 104 weeks (about two years).
Dr. Anya Gastribov, the study's lead author, described the results as "impressive," emphasizing that the treatment not only resulted in weight loss but also led to clear improvements in heart health and metabolic indicators, making it a promising future tool for treating obesity and improving patients' health trajectories.
However, the drug was not without side effects. It caused higher rates of digestive problems such as nausea and diarrhea compared to its competitors, but these results were consistent with a previous trial.
The company noted that lower doses resulted in fewer side effects.
Dan Skvronsky, chief scientific officer at Eli Lilly, said seeing patients lose 30% of their weight is an "unbelievable number," adding that this level of weight loss has never been seen before with this type of drug.
The company has not yet applied for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but expects to do so early this year.
While drugs like Ozempic and Wegovi help you lose up to 20% of your initial weight by targeting one or two hormonal pathways, Retratrotide targets three different hormonal pathways simultaneously:
1. GLP-1: Reduces appetite and slows the passage of food through the stomach.
2. GIP: Regulates blood sugar and fat storage.
3. Glucagon: Helps control blood sugar levels.
This triple effect allows the drug to reduce the amount of food a person eats, while simultaneously reducing the amount of energy their body burns, resulting in much greater weight loss than current medications.
