Retatrutide quick reference
What is Retatrutide?
Once-weekly peptide that hits GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors.
People use it for big weight loss; TRIUMPH-1 reached 28.3% at 80 weeks.
Still investigational; Lilly is running more phase 3 trials.
How Retatrutide works
Lowers appetite and slows stomach emptying.
Adds to insulin release and appetite effects.
Raised energy use in obese mice; human share is unclear.
Long half-life allows one injection a week.
What Retatrutide is studied for
Adults lost 28.3% on 12 mg at 80 weeks (TRIUMPH-1).
HbA1c fell up to 2.0 points at 40 weeks.
Liver fat fell 82% on 12 mg in 24 weeks.
Pain score fell up to 73% in a TRIUMPH-1 sub-trial.
Apnea events fell up to 61% in a TRIUMPH-1 sub-trial.
The glucagon part raised energy use in obese mice.
Retatrutide dosing protocol
| Weeks | Weekly amount in the trials (highest group) |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | 2 mg |
| 5–8 | 4 mg |
| 9–12 | 6 mg (TRIUMPH-1) · 8 mg (phase 2) |
| 13–16 | 9 mg (TRIUMPH-1) · 12 mg (phase 2) |
| 17+ | 12 mg (TRIUMPH-1 top group) |
Phase 2 (NCT04881760) groups: 1, 4, 8 or 12 mg; the 12 mg group stepped 2, 4, 8, 12 mg. TRIUMPH-1 (NCT05929066): 2, 4, 6, 9, then 12 mg; the 4 mg group needed one step at 2 mg (Lilly, June 2026).
Label and trial amounts come from the sources below. Community amounts are what people report; they have not been tested.
Mixing
Community practice only. Swirl gently, never shake; store at 2–8 °C.
What the research found
Average body-weight change in the two main obesity trials:
Placebo: −2.1% (phase 2, 48 weeks, 338 adults; Jastreboff et al., NEJM 2023) and −2.2% (TRIUMPH-1, 80 weeks, 2,339 adults; Lilly topline, May 21, 2026).
Retatrutide community experience
What users report. Not tested in trials.
Positive reports
- Less food noise Many report fewer cravings and food thoughts.
- Stronger appetite drop Some say it works harder than tirzepatide did.
- Steady through the week Some feel even appetite control between injections.
Negative & mixed
- Stomach trouble Nausea, diarrhoea and reflux often flare after a step-up.
- Eating too little Strong appetite loss makes protein and fluids hard to hit.
- Odd skin feelings Tingling or burning skin matches the trial dysesthesia signal.
Retatrutide stacking
Adds an amylin pathway. Not studied together; side effects may stack.
Common advice to protect muscle. Not tested with this drug.
Discussed for belly fat. Not studied together.
Retatrutide side effects & safety
Common
- Nausea: 29–42% on retatrutide vs 15% on placebo (TRIUMPH-1).
- Diarrhoea: 25–34% vs 14%.
- Constipation: 24–26% vs 11%.
- Vomiting: 11–25% vs 5%.
- Worse at higher doses and during step-ups.
Less common
- Dysesthesia (odd skin feelings): 5–13% vs 1%.
- Urinary tract infection: 7–9% vs 5%.
- Heart rate rose with dose in phase 2, then eased.
- Stopped for side effects: 4% (4 mg) to 11% (12 mg).
Precautions
- Investigational: long-term safety is not known.
- Trials excluded people with past pancreatitis, MTC or MEN2.
- Persistent vomiting or severe stomach pain needs medical care.
- Do not stack with other GLP-1 drugs; side effects add up.
Our verdict on Retatrutide
Biggest weight loss seen in trials so far. Still unapproved, with skin sensations and long-term safety open.
Retatrutide FAQ
Is retatrutide approved?
No. It is investigational; Lilly is running phase 3 trials.
How much weight did people lose?
TRIUMPH-1: 19.0% (4 mg), 25.9% (9 mg), 28.3% (12 mg) at 80 weeks. Placebo: 2.2%.
How is it different from tirzepatide?
It adds glucagon receptor activity. A head-to-head trial (NCT06662383) is still running.
What is dysesthesia?
Odd skin feelings like tingling or burning. Seen in 5–13% in TRIUMPH-1.
Sources
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04881760 (phase 2 dose groups)
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05929066 (TRIUMPH-1)
- Jastreboff AM et al. N Engl J Med 2023 (phase 2 results)
- Eli Lilly TRIUMPH-1 topline release, May 21, 2026
- Eli Lilly release, June 6, 2026 (TRIUMPH-1 detail, TRANSCEND-T2D-1, knee pain and sleep apnea sub-trials)
- Coskun T et al. Cell Metab 2022;34:1234 (receptor activity, obese mice)
- Urva S et al. Lancet 2022;400:1869 (phase 1b, NCT04143802)
- Sanyal AJ et al. Nat Med 2024;30:2037 (liver fat substudy)
- Rosenstock J et al. Lancet 2023;402:529 (phase 2 diabetes, NCT04867785)
- TRANSCEND-T2D-1 report, Lancet 2026;407:2402 (NCT06354660)
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05929066 (TRIUMPH-1 exclusion criteria)
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06662383 (retatrutide vs tirzepatide, ongoing)