Another Promising Medication (Retatrutide) for Obesity

AM Jastreboff et al. NEJM 2023; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2301972. Triple–Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity  — A Phase 2 Trial.

Background: Retatrutide (LY3437943) is an agonist of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide 1, and glucagon receptors.

Methods: This study enrolled 338 with BMI of at least 27 in a a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with once-weekly injections of retatrutide.

Key Findings:

The number who achieved at least a 10% weight loss:

“The safety profile of retatrutide was consistent with reported phase 1 findings in persons with type 2 diabetes13 and similar to those of therapies based on GLP-1 or GIP–GLP-1 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes or obesity”

My take: There are a number of effective agents for obesity that have been developed very recently. Long term efficacy and safety are still not well-understood.

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