Triple-action diabetes jab shown to reduce blood sugar and body weight
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- Retatrutide – a weekly injection that mimics GLP‑1, GIP, and glucagon receptors, was tested in a phase‑3 trial with 930 adults with type 2 diabetes and BMI ≥ 23.
- The trial – after 40 weeks, participants receiving 4–12 mg of retatrutide lost 11.5 %–15.3 % of body weight and reduced HbA1c by 1.7 %–1.9 %, versus 2.6 % weight loss and 0.8 % HbA1c drop on placebo.
- Adverse events – 14 participants experienced serious adverse events, two of which were in the placebo group; most side‑effects were mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms that eased over time.
- Dr. Kath McCullough – the Royal College of Physicians’ obesity adviser called the findings “very encouraging” and suggested the drug could be “life‑changing” for many people with diabetes and obesity.
- Dr. Marie Spreckley – the Cambridge specialist noted the weight‑loss magnitude was striking but cautioned the study compared retatrutide only to placebo, not to existing GLP‑1‑based therapies such as semaglutide or tirzepatide.
Why it matters: Patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity gain a potent new treatment that can deliver >10 % weight loss and near‑2 % HbA1c reduction, potentially lowering cardiovascular risk and medication burden.
