Fastrack · Lilly's Experimental Drug Helps Diabetics Lose up to 60 Pounds

Eli Lilly's retatrutide produced up to 18.8% average body weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes after 80 weeks, according to phase 3 trial results published in The Lancet and presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Milan.

31% of participants on the highest 12mg dose lost at least 25% of their body weight.
72% of patients on the highest dose achieved an HbA1c at or below the 6.5% diabetes threshold.
A parallel trial in people without diabetes, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed up to 25% average body weight loss.
7 deaths occurred across all groups; investigators determined none were related to the drug.

Why it matters: Retatrutide targets three hormone pathways — GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon — compared to two for Mounjaro and one for Ozempic. Dr. Juan Pablo Frias, a study author and medical director at the Los Angeles Institute for Metabolic Research, called it 'the most potent drug, showing the greatest percent weight loss in people with Type 2 diabetes with a pharmacological agent, shown to date.'

Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist at Duke Health not involved in the trial, said the results 'rival gastric bypass surgery without the surgery.'
Dr. Michelle Ponder of Duke University, also not involved in the trial, cautioned that retatrutide 'may be too strong for some patients,' particularly those with mild diabetes or slightly elevated weight.

How 7 sources split on this story

Source landscape

Factuality

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Mixed

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Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right

Political Bias

Coverage by lean% of 7 sources

7 sources · 10 articles · 57% Left coverage

Where they split: Coverage agrees on the efficacy numbers but divides emphasis: left-leaning outlets focus on record-breaking outcomes and diabetes remission rates; right-leaning outlets lead with side effects, illegal black-market sales, and the drug's unofficial 'Godzilla' nickname.

Center1 source

Reuters1hLilly's experimental drug cuts weight by 21% in diabetes trial

Left coverage, 4 sources: The left frames retatrutide as a historic medical advance for a population underserved by existing treatments, emphasizing record weight-loss figures, diabetes remission rates, and comparisons to bariatric surgery.

NBC News2hPeople with Type 2 diabetes lost up to 60 pounds on Lilly’s latest weight loss drug

Time2hEli Lilly’s Experimental Weight-Loss Drug Shows Promising Results

The Guardian2h‘Godzilla’ of weight-loss drugs could provide other important health benefits

The Independent2hFresh hope for diabetics as new weight loss drug helps them shed a quarter of their bodyweight

Right coverage, 2 sources: The right frames retatrutide through the lens of consumer risk and regulatory caution, leading with the drug's unofficial 'Godzilla' branding, newly identified side effects, and the proliferating black market for unauthorized versions.

Daily Mail2h'Godzilla' fat jab retatrutide sheds more fat than Mounjaro, new study finds - here's when you can get it in Britain

The Sun2h‘Godzilla’ fat jab retatrutide triggers TWO new side effects – but helps slimmers shed over a quarter of their weight

What’s next: Eli Lilly plans to submit an FDA approval request in early 2027 based on these results.

Further studies are needed to determine whether benefits extend to complications such as heart disease, sleep apnea, stroke, and cancer.
How will retatrutide perform in direct head-to-head trials against Mounjaro and Wegovy?
Will the FDA and MHRA weigh the new side effects — low blood pressure and abnormal skin sensations — differently than existing GLP-1 drugs?
What is the long-term trajectory of weight after patients stop taking the drug?