An “investigational” weight loss drug called retatrutide from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly just cleared a clinical trial hurdle, according to the company.
“The initial TRIUMPH Phase 3 clinical development program is evaluating the safety and efficacy of retatrutide for the treatment of patients with obesity or overweight, moderate-to-severe [obstructive sleep apnea] and obesity, and knee osteoarthritis pain across four global registrational trials,” Eli Lilly explained in a Thursday press release. “The program, which began in 2023, has enrolled more than 5,800 participants with additional results anticipated over the next year.”
During TRIUMPH-1, participants on 12 milligram doses of retatrutide lost an average of 70.3 pounds over 80 weeks, the company said. As of Thursday, the drug had positive topline results from the trial.
Retatrutide is described as a “first-in-class,” glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucagon triple hormone receptor agonist. It comes among the current wave of weight loss medications tied to GLP-1, including Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, as well as Wegovy and Ozempic from Novo Nordisk.
GLP-1 medications typically work to reduce appetite by acting on receptors in the body, influencing insulin production and gastric emptying. According to Eli Lilly, retatrutide activates the body’s receptors GIP, (GLP-1), and glucagon.
Eli Lilly said TRIUMPH-1 was an 80-week randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled master trial comparing the efficacy and safety of retatrutide with placebo in adults with obesity or overweight. Participants received retatrutide once a week at 4, 9 or 12 milligram doses or a placebo.
“At 80 weeks, all doses of retatrutide (4 mg, 9 mg, and 12 mg) met the primary and key secondary endpoints for obesity, delivering clinically meaningful weight loss,” said the press release.
CNBC called the trial a “crucial” step that brings the medication closer to filing for approval for retatrutide injections.
“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,” said Dr. Ania Jastreboff, professor of Medicine & Pediatrics (Endocrinology) at the Yale School of Medicine, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center (Y-Weight), and lead investigator. “Importantly, treatment with retatrutide not only resulted in robust weight reduction, but also in clear improvements in assessed cardiometabolic health measures. For patients I see in clinic, retatrutide may potentially be a highly impactful future tool to treat their obesity and transform their health trajectory."
