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Lilly’s experimental weight-loss drug outperforms Ozempic in study

Digilifetrends Updated 2026-10-28 3 min read

(TNND) — Eli Lilly says a late-stage study indicates its experimental once-weekly injection retatrutide may help adults with Type 2 diabetes shed more weight than Ozempic, while also lowering blood sugar slightly more, based on results released by the company.

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SOFIA, BULGARIA - JANUARY 06: Doctor Dimitar Nikolakov holds a prepared syringe with the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine at St. Anna Hospital on January 6, 2021 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Bulgaria's vaccination campaign began on December 27 with medical workers included among the priority groups. (Photo by Hristo Rusev/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: In this photo illustration, boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Ozempic was originally approved by the FDA to treat people with Type 2 diabetes- who risk serious health consequences without medication. In recent months, there has been a spike in demand for Ozempic, or semaglutide, due to its weight loss benefits, which has led to shortages. Some doctors prescribe Ozempic off-label to treat obesity. (Photo illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: In this photo illustration, boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Ozempic was originally approved by the FDA to treat people with Type 2 diabetes- who risk serious health consequences without medication. In recent months, there has been a spike in demand for Ozempic, or semaglutide, due to its weight loss benefits, which has led to shortages. Some doctors prescribe Ozempic off-label to treat obesity. (Photo illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The phase 3 trial compared retatrutide with Ozempic, or semaglutide, in 1,298 adults with Type 2 diabetes that was not well controlled with metformin, with or without another medication. At the start of the study, participants weighed about 226 pounds on average.

After 80 weeks, people taking retatrutide lost an average of 44 pounds on the 9-milligram dose and 47 pounds on the 12-milligram dose. Those using Ozempic’s 2-milligram dose lost an average of 21 pounds. That works out to about 20% to 21% of initial body weight for retatrutide, versus roughly 9% for Ozempic.

A1C, which measures average blood sugar, declined by 2.2 percentage points with retatrutide and by 1.8 points with Ozempic. Lilly also said retatrutide led to greater improvements in some heart-related risk markers, including cholesterol and blood pressure. The study did not determine whether the drug lowers the risk of heart attack or stroke.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: A sign with the company logo sits outside of the headquarters campus of Eli Lilly and Company on March 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lilly, a pharmaceutical company, employs more than 12.000 people in Indianapolis and more than 42,000 worldwide. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: A sign with the company logo sits outside of the headquarters campus of Eli Lilly and Company on March 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lilly, a pharmaceutical company, employs more than 12.000 people in Indianapolis and more than 42,000 worldwide. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Retatrutide targets three hormone pathways tied to appetite and blood sugar regulation. Ozempic works on one of those pathways, GLP-1. Researchers are examining whether the broader mechanism could provide another option for people living with Type 2 diabetes and excess weight.

Nausea and diarrhea were among the most common side effects reported with retatrutide. More participants stopped treatment because of side effects at the 12-milligram dose than with Ozempic: 7.9% versus 2.7%. The discontinuation rate was 4.8% for the 9-milligram dose.

The findings are preliminary company data. Lilly said it intends to present detailed results at a future medical meeting and publish them in a peer-reviewed journal. The comparison applies only to the study’s participants, doses and 80-week timeframe.

Retatrutide is not FDA-approved and is not available as a prescription drug. Lilly said it hopes to seek FDA approval in early 2027 and cautioned consumers against products sold online as retatrutide.

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