Eli Lilly’s investigational medicine retatrutide has outperformed Ozempic (semaglutide) in a phase 3 trial involving adults with type 2 diabetes, strengthening the company’s next-generation cardiometabolic pipeline.
Announced on 28 October, the TRANSCEND-T2D-2 results showed greater reductions in blood sugar and body weight after 80 weeks than Novo’s flagship GLP-1 and the study met its primary and all key secondary endpoints, according to Lilly.
The study compared once-weekly retatrutide at doses of 9 mg and 12 mg with 2 mg of Ozempic . Lilly said this comparator was selected because it is Ozempic’s highest approved dose.
Both retatrutide doses reduced HbA1c, a measure of average blood sugar over time, by 2.2 percentage points, compared with 1.8 percentage points for Ozempic.
Participants receiving the 9 mg dose lost an average of 19.5% of their body weight, rising to 20.9% among those receiving 12 mg. This was compared with 9.4% in the Ozempic group.
Retatrutide also delivered greater improvements across certain cardiovascular risk factors. However, Novo cautioned against assessing Ozempic solely on weight loss, highlighting its benefits for heart, kidney and liver health.
Discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in 4.8% of participants receiving retatrutide 9 mg and 7.9% receiving 12 mg, compared with 2.7% taking Ozempic. These findings will form part of the assessment of the medicine’s overall benefit–risk profile.
Often described as a ‘triple-G’ treatment, retatrutide activates GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors. This approach combines effects on appetite, blood sugar regulation and energy expenditure.
Lilly plans to seek US approval in 2027 and will present detailed trial findings at a future medical meeting. The company is also comparing retatrutide with tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, in a separate late-stage obesity study.
The drugs maker’s shares rose around 1.2% in morning trading on 28 October following the trial announcement, while Novo’s US-listed shares edged lower that afternoon. The moves comes just ahead of Lilly’s quarterly results.
For now, however, retatrutide remains investigational. The latest results add to its clinical evidence, while regulatory review and fuller data disclosure remain ahead.
Featured image: MichaelVi on AdobeStock
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