‘Godzilla’ of weight-loss drugs could provide other important health benefits

Key Points:

• Retatrutide, a new weight-loss drug mimicking three gut hormones (GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon), demonstrated significant reductions in body weight, blood sugar levels, and inflammation in the largest study of its kind involving adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• In an 80-week phase 3 trial with 2,047 participants, those receiving the highest dose (12 mg) of retatrutide lost an average of 18.8% of their body weight, with nearly half shedding at least 20%, compared to a 5.1% loss in the placebo group.
• The drug also improved cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure and lipid profiles and helped 72% of participants achieve an HbA1c level of 6.5% or lower, indicating better blood sugar control.
• Gastrointestinal side effects like diarrhea and nausea were common among retatrutide users, but serious adverse events, including seven deaths during the trial, were deemed unrelated to the drug.
• Separate research indicated that weight-loss drugs generally do not cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with type 2 diabetes, though experts call for further studies to address evidence gaps amid rising use among women of reproductive age.