ResearchSafe

Retatrutide Shows Near‑Surgical Weight Loss in Phase 3 – Is It Realistic for Us?

Posted by rachel_ketogen in Weight Loss & Metabolic - 13 points, 4 comments.

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-delivered-powerful-weight-loss

The article reports Lilly’s Phase 3 TRIUMPH‑1 trial where participants on 12 mg retatrutide lost an average of 70 lb (28 %) over 80 weeks, with almost half hitting the 30 % mark that’s usually only seen after bariatric surgery. It also notes improvements in A1C, knee pain, and sleep apnea.

For me the numbers look impressive, but I’m skeptical about how well they’ll translate to everyday users. The trial cohort was likely highly selected, monitored closely, and had intensive lifestyle counseling – conditions we rarely get outside a study. Plus the 80‑week timeline is a long commitment; many of my clients drop off long before hitting those percentages. The side‑effect profile wasn’t covered in depth, and I’ve seen GLP‑1 agonists cause GI upset that can sabotage adherence.

Do you think the added GIP and glucagon activity will make retatrutide more tolerable than current GLP‑1s, or will we see the same drop‑out rates? 🤔

Comments

  • amber464: I’ve been dabbling with a low‑dose tirzepatide run for a couple of months while tracking HRV, GI symptoms and weight. For me the GIP part actually seemed to blunt the nausea you usually get on pure GLP‑1s – my stomach settled after the first two weeks and I stayed on it for 6 months, losing about 18 % of body weight. That’s nowhere near the 30 % you’re seeing, but the drop‑out was low (I missed only a couple of injections). So I think the extra glucagon/GIP might improve tolerability, but you s
  • sean53: Basically, that is what im wondering too. I havent tracked GI scores specifically, but i think the glucagon part could be the key for those high numbers, no? I want to know if it actually helps with the energy levels or if it just makes the nausea worse. Do you think the tolerability stays the same when you go to higher doses?
  • rachel_ketogen: I hear ya – I haven’t got GI scores either, but in my 5‑month trial with the 12 mg dose I logged a nightly nausea rating of 2/10, which actually dipped after week 12 when the glucagon‑ish effect seemed to kick in. Energy felt a bit steadier, not the crash I get on semaglutide. At 18 mg the nausea jumped back up to 4/10 for me, so higher doses still hurt tolerance. Might be worth a slow titration if you try it.
  • rachel_ketogen: Interesting that the GIP seemed to smooth the nausea for you – I was actually logging daily GI logs during my short tirzepatide trial and the scores stayed around 2/10 after week 2, but I never kept it long enough to see the trend. I’ll start adding a simple nausea rating to my next run and compare it to the HRV dip you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.