A new experimental drug that mimics three hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism may offer a breakthrough for people with obesity and diabetes, according to the results of two clinical trials presented at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in San Diego on Monday.
The drug, called retatrutide, is a once-weekly injection that stimulates the production of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and glucagon (GCG) in the body. These hormones help control hunger, blood sugar, and fat burning.
In one trial, involving 338 adults with obesity who did not have diabetes, retatrutide led to an average of 24% body weight loss in 40 weeks, or nearly 60 pounds. This is comparable to the weight loss achieved by bariatric surgery, a drastic operation that reduces the size of the stomach or bypasses part of the digestive system.
In another trial, involving 281 adults with type 2 diabetes, retatrutide resulted in an average of 17% body weight loss in nine months, as well as significant improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.
“We have not seen results like this before,” said Dr. Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center and lead author of the paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. “It is striking that on average, participants with obesity taking the highest dose of retatrutide lost nearly a quarter of their body weight during 11 months of treatment.”
Dr. Carel Le Roux from University College Dublin, an obesity researcher who was not affiliated with these studies, agreed that retatrutide could be a game-changer for people with obesity and diabetes. “This raises the bar. This is way beyond my wildest dreams,” he said during a press conference.
Retatrutide is different from other weight loss drugs on the market, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, which mimic only one or two of the hunger-regulating hormones. Retatrutide is the first drug to mimic all three hormones at once, creating a more potent effect on appetite and metabolism.
“What our patients express is freedom,” Dr. Jastreboff said. “Their mind is freed from the burden of trying to control every morsel of food that they put in their mouth for the rest of their lives.”
Retatrutide is still in the phase 2 stage of clinical trials and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory agency. It also has some side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, and constipation, which are similar to those of other hormone-based therapies.
However, Dr. Juan Frias, medical director of the National Research Institute in Los Angeles and lead author of the paper published in the Lancet, said that retatrutide has the potential to treat not only obesity and diabetes, but also non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is often associated with these conditions.
“The results are very impressive and could be a game-changer for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes,” he said.
Relevant articles:
-A new weight-loss drug dubbed the ‘triple G’ could be stronger than Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro — and as powerful as bariatric surgery, Business Insider, June 27, 2023
-Experimental drug could offer more weight loss than any drug now on the market, study finds, NBC News, June 27, 2023
-Experimental Weight-Loss Drug Retatrutide May Be More Effective Than Ozempic, Yahoo News, June 27, 2023
-What To Know About Retatrutide: Unapproved Drug Boasts Greater Weight Loss Than Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Forbes, June 27, 2023