"Godzilla" is born in the thin pen world? Weight loss drug "Retatrutide" passes phase II trial: loses 24% of body weight in less than one year
Obesity has become a common civilized disease of modern people. Therefore, in recent years, GLP-1-like injections and weight-loss drugs also known as “slimming pens” have attracted the attention of many weight-lossers. A study published in the authoritative journal “New England Journal of Medicine” (NEJM) in 2023 pointed out that the three-hormone receptor agonist “Retatrutide” passed the second phase of human trials, indicating that it is expected to reduce the number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in less than a year. 24% of the subject’s body weight. The research team is currently actively publishing the results of the third phase of the trial by 2026.
“Godzilla” is born in the thin pen world? Study: You can lose 24% of your body weight in less than a year
The research team pointed out that the weight loss effect of Retatrutide is better than that of its predecessor “Semaglutide” (trade name Ozempic) and “Tirzepatide” produced by the same pharmaceutical company. Trade name Mounjaro), achieves more significant weight loss in a shorter period of time, and has recently been hailed as the “Godzilla” of the slimming pen world by major Western media; Tirzepatide and Semaglutide are called “King Kong”, “Gorilla”.
The first phase of human trials of Retatrutide was passed in November 2022, and the results were published in the authoritative journal “The LANCET”; the second phase of trials was passed in June 2023. The research team pointed out that compared with Semaglutide, which only acts on GLP-1, the biggest feature of Retatrutide is that it can act on 3 types of hormone receptors: glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), gastric inhibitory peptide ( GIP) and glucagon.
If compared with Liraglutide (trade name Saxenda), Semaglutide, and Tirzepatide, Retatrutide lost 24% of the weight at 48 weeks, while the other three were 9.2% at 56 weeks, 15% at 68 weeks, and 26.6% at 72 weeks. , it can be seen that Retatrutide does have higher and more comprehensive weight loss benefits.
100% of subjects who lost 5% of their body weight! Is Retatrutide’s weight loss effect the best among the rest?
Judging from the results of this trial, 81% of the subjects completed the 52-week trial, and 78% completed the 48-week treatment period of Retatrutide or placebo. In terms of weight values, the subjects’ weight changes within 24 weeks are as follows:
Placebo group: -1.6%
1 mg group: -7.2%
4 mg group (initial dose 2 mg): -11.8%
4 mg group (initial dose 4 mg): -13.9%
8 mg group (initial dose 2 mg): -16.7%
8 mg group (initial dose 4 mg): -17.9%
12 mg group (initial dose 2 mg): -17.5%
The weight changes of the subjects within 48 weeks are as follows:
Placebo group: -2.1%
1 mg group: -8.7%
4 mg group (initial dose 2 mg): -16.3%
4 mg group (initial dose 4 mg): -17.8%
8 mg group (initial dose 2 mg): -21.7%
8 mg group (initial dose 4 mg): -23.9%
12 mg group (initial dose 2 mg): -24.2%
At 48 weeks, 64-100% of subjects in the retatrutide group had lost more than 5% of their body weight; compared with only 27% of the placebo group. In addition, the proportion of weight loss of more than 10% and more than 15% in the retatrutide group (all doses) was also higher than that in the placebo group. The weight loss achievement rates of more than 5%, more than 10% and more than 15% are respectively:
4 mg group: 92%, 75%, 60%
8 mg group: 100%, 91%, 75%
12 mg group: 100%, 93%, 83%
Retatrutide doesn’t just improve weight numbers? All 8 major body values have a downward trend
Overall, the study results showed that weight loss of more than 20% and more than 25% were more common among those receiving retatrutide at doses of at least 4 mg. In the 12 mg group, 26% of subjects lost more than 30% of their body weight; prespecified analyzes showed that the percentage weight loss was more significant in those with higher BMI: in the 8 mg and 12 mg dose groups, those with a BMI of 35 Subjects (above) lost 26.5% and 26.4% of their weight respectively, while those with a BMI lower than 35 lost 21.3% and 21.5% of their weight respectively.
The study also found that after the intervention of Retatrutide, various values except body weight improved: such as waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar, insulin, and cholesterol levels (except HDL good cholesterol), etc., all improved to a certain extent. It is worth mentioning that 72% of prediabetic subjects returned to normal blood sugar levels.
Up to 70% of subjects experienced adverse reactions? Retatrutide may not be suitable for “this group of people”
Even though the weight loss effect of Retatrutide is significant, up to 70% of subjects experience adverse events during treatment. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting or constipation, and the severity was mostly mild to moderate. Skin allergies also occurred in 7% of the subjects. In addition, 6-16% of subjects discontinued the trial due to adverse events.
The trial also has its limitations. The trial design lasted 48 weeks, and although the ratio of men to women was similar, it was limited by racial and geographic homogeneity (only in the United States and mostly white). Since only 4% of the subjects had a BMI between 27 and 30 and were accompanied by obesity-related diseases, whether the results are applicable to this group still requires further research. Experts warn that retatrutide, like other injections, will cause weight regain once the drug is stopped, and may deprive users of the pleasure of eating, making life “very boring.”
Is “Slimming Pen” necessary to treat obesity? Do 3 things before drug intervention
Obesity has become one of the most important health problems of modern people. However, is it necessary to treat obesity with drugs? The “Nature Medicine” paper points out that losing 5-10% of weight can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, while also improving cardiovascular disease risk factors (such as hypertension) and reducing the chance of obesity complications (such as osteoarthritis).
For the average person, the foundation of weight management is still based on a healthy lifestyle, including overall calorie control, appropriate exercise (150 minutes per week) and behavioral adjustments. However, when the weight loss goal is still not achieved after adjusting the lifestyle, or when weight loss is difficult due to complications from overweight, it is appropriate to intervene with obesity treatment drugs to achieve the purpose of weight management and avoid weight regain.
Source:
Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
Triple–Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 Trial
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