oldrunnerguy
Explorer
https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/lillys-retatrutide-slashes-both-weight-loss-and-blood-sugar-levels-09d8633c
I tried to use the 'not behind a paywall link' here.
Dated March 19, 2026. What the article works through: results from Phase 3 that count as a breakthrough for retatrutide, the investigational drug from Eli Lilly, delivering efficacy against type 2 diabetes and obesity that is unprecedented.
What the report picks out of the TRANSCEND-T2D-1 trial:
- Triple-Hormone Mechanism: A "triple agonist" is what retatrutide is, which sets it apart from drugs already out there such as Wegovy (targeting GLP-1) or Mounjaro (targeting GLP-1 and GIP). The three targets are GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. Boosting energy expenditure is what glucagon is believed to add, and superior results follow from that.
- Significant Weight Reduction: An average of 36.6 pounds (16.8% of their body weight) was lost over just 40 weeks by participants with type 2 diabetes on the highest dose (12 mg). What earlier-generation drugs typically manage in trials focused on diabetes is significantly outpaced by this.
- Blood Sugar Control: "Slashed" is what the drug did to blood sugar, with A1C reductions landing anywhere from 1.7% to 2.0%. An average A1C of 7.9% was what participants started the trial with.
- Comparison to Competitors: What analysts noted is that figures like these put retatrutide ahead of both Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Lilly's own Mounjaro in potency, above all for patients whose primary aim is maximal weight loss next to glycemic control.
- Side Effects & Safety: Gastrointestinal complaints (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) were the most common adverse events, mostly showing up while doses were being escalated. A signal on safety that was given the name dysesthesia (abnormal skin sensitivity) came up in roughly 4% of participants and was monitored too.