Eli Lilly said on October 28 that experimental retatrutide improved blood sugar and weight more than Ozempic in a phase 3 trial of adults with type 2 diabetes. The Indianapolis company announced preliminary results from TRANSCEND-T2D-2; retatrutide remains investigational.
The trial compared retatrutide doses of 9 mg and 12 mg with Ozempic 2 mg, its highest approved dose, according to Lilly. Reuters reported that the once-weekly experimental medicine activates three hormone receptors: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. The comparison provides evidence against an existing treatment.
At 80 weeks, both retatrutide groups had an average A1C reduction of 2.2 percentage points, against 1.8 points with Ozempic. Average weight loss reached 19.5% and 20.9% at the respective retatrutide doses, compared with 9.4% for Ozempic, Lilly reported. A1C measures blood sugar over time.
These headline figures require an important qualification. STAT reported that the analysis concerns participants who stayed on treatment, rather than all participants. The results therefore should not be read as the average outcome for everyone who starts therapy. They are company-reported findings, with detailed publication still pending.
Tolerability also matters. Lilly reported that adverse events led 4.8% of patients on 9 mg and 7.9% on 12 mg to stop treatment, compared with 2.7% on Ozempic. Common events included diarrhea, nausea, constipation and vomiting; most were mild or moderate. The stronger efficacy figures thus accompany higher discontinuation rates.
Lilly said it plans to present detailed findings at a medical meeting and publish them in a peer-reviewed journal. Those fuller results will help assess the balance between benefit and tolerability. The announcement does not establish regulatory approval or availability of retatrutide for routine treatment.
Comments