# Retatrutide from Eli Lilly cut body weight by 18.8% in 80 weeks in a phase 3 trial in type 2 diabetes

- Published: 2026-11-07 20:18 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: retatrutide, TRIUMPH-2, phase 3 trial, obesity and type 2 diabetes, GIP GLP-1 glucagon agonist, weight loss 18.8%, Eli Lilly, The Lancet, 80 weeks, triple agonist
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-0988773fd8a6b1b6cefa4d2d_retatrutide_from_eli/

**In the phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 trial of 1152 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, 12 mg retatrutide gave 18.8% weight loss versus 5.1% on placebo; the molecule is not yet authorised.**

![Retatrutide from Eli Lilly cut body weight by 18.8% in 80 weeks in a phase 3 trial in type 2 diabetes](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/7d9df9289e29c3bb.webp)
*science-et-vie.com*

Results of TRIUMPH-2, a phase 3 trial of the experimental molecule retatrutide from Eli Lilly, were published in The Lancet. The trial ran at 92 centres in eight countries and enrolled 1152 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. After 80 weeks of once-weekly injections, mean body weight fell by 18.8% at the 12 mg dose, compared with 5.1% on placebo [1].

Retatrutide activates three receptors: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1:1:1 to placebo or to 4 mg, 9 mg or 12 mg, given as self-administered subcutaneous injections. The groups numbered 292, 284, 287 and 289 people, and neither patients nor clinicians knew who received what. The trial was funded by Eli Lilly [1].

## Trial design and results

Between July 11, 2023 and Nov 1, 2024, 2047 people were screened and 1152 were randomised. Mean age was 55 years, mean BMI was 38.2, and median duration of obesity was 21 years. The primary endpoint was the percentage change in body weight at week 80 for the 9 mg and 12 mg doses versus placebo, with 4 mg versus placebo as a key secondary endpoint [1].

Of the participants, 965 (84%) completed the study drug. Among those who stayed on treatment to the end, weight loss at 12 mg reached 20.8%, according to the publication's summary. Glycated haemoglobin fell by about 1.5 points, and seven in ten people on retatrutide reached 6.5% or lower, versus 29% on placebo. At 12 mg, systolic blood pressure fell by 9.7 mmHg, versus 2.7 mmHg on placebo.

The authors conclude that retatrutide might be effective for obesity in people with type 2 diabetes [1]. Nutritionist Jean-Baptiste Cazauran, commenting on the trial, noted that people with type 2 diabetes usually lose less weight on treatment than others.

## Safety and limits

Adverse effects were mostly digestive. At 12 mg, a third of participants had diarrhoea and 28% had nausea. Dysaesthesia, a burning sensation of the skin, rose with dose, and excessive drops in blood pressure occurred in 6% of patients at 12 mg.

The trial measured intermediate endpoints such as weight and blood pressure. Its effect on heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure is not yet known, and a large dedicated trial is under way. Retatrutide is not authorised anywhere. All participants received individual dietary follow-up during the study.

## Sources

1. [The Lancet](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01861-1)
2. [science-et-vie.com](https://www.science-et-vie.com/corps-et-sante/attention-ces-injections-ne-sont-pas-des-regimes-a-coups-de-piqures-jean-baptiste-cazauran-medecin-nutritionniste-a-propos-du-wegovy-et-de-la-retatrutide-265299.html)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-0988773fd8a6b1b6cefa4d2d_retatrutide_from_eli/