Lilly's new GLP-1 drug triggers unprecedented weight loss in diabetics
Late-stage trials show Eli Lilly’s reticulated GLP-1 drug retatrutide helped people with Type 2 diabetes lose up to 60 pounds, about 23% of body weight.
Eli Lilly’s experimental GLP-1 triple-agonist retatrutide produced record-breaking weight loss in a late-stage trial of more than 1,110 people with Type 2 diabetes, with some participants shedding up to 60 pounds (23 % of body weight) after 80 weeks. The study, reported in The Lancet, also showed that more than half of the cohort dropped below a BMI of 30, and A1C levels fell by as much as 1.6 percentage points, putting 40 % of patients under the diabetes-free threshold.
Researchers noted additional benefits such as reduced sleep-apnea severity and less knee-arthritis pain. Adverse events mirrored those of existing GLP-1 drugs, mainly gastrointestinal, and about 8 % on the highest dose discontinued use. Lilly plans to seek FDA approval early next year, while copycat versions are already being sold illegally.
Why it matters
The drug could transform diabetes treatment by offering weight loss comparable to surgery without invasive procedures.
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