Retatrutide.
A 36-amino-acid synthetic peptide engineered by Eli Lilly to activate three metabolic receptors simultaneously. Phase II data published in the NEJM showed 24% mean weight loss at 48 weeks — the largest recorded for any pharmaceutical compound at that point in time.
- Key Signals
- Weight · Metabolic · Glucagon
- Origin
- Synthetic (engineered triple agonist)
- Investigator
- Eli Lilly and Company, 2020s
- Class
- GIP / GLP-1 / Glucagon triple agonist
- Status (UAE)
- Research compound (Phase III active)
The Weight Loss Record Breaker
Lilly engineers LY3437943 to activate GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors simultaneously — extending the dual agonist architecture of tirzepatide.
NEJM 2023: 24.2% mean weight loss at 12mg weekly over 48 weeks — the highest efficacy signal recorded for any weight loss compound at the time.
FDA fast-track designation granted. TRIUMPH programme enrolling across obesity, T2D, NAFLD, and heart failure — approval decision anticipated.
Three targets, one molecule
36-AA triple incretin scaffold
C20 fatty acid acylation · Aib substitutions · ~168h half-life · MW ~4169 Da
Modified GLP-1 backbone with Aib substitutions for protease resistance and C20 fatty acid acylation for extended half-life (~168h). Activates GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors — the first at large-scale trials.
Phase II earned this one.
Phase II human data is unusually strong; Phase III will determine whether it holds at scale.
- 24% weight loss (12mg, 48wk)
- Dose-response confirmed
- HbA1c reduction (T2D)
- Lipid profile improvement
- FDA fast-track designation
- Long-term safety (2yr+)
- NAFLD / NASH reversal
- Cardiovascular outcomes
- Lean mass preservation
- Heart failure (HFpEF)
- Neurological protection
- Addiction suppression
- Anti-aging / longevity
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The Closest Thing to Approval
In the UAE, research-grade peptides occupy a defined regulatory category distinct from licensed medicines. Compounds sold under this classification — including those offered by Dubai Peptides — are intended exclusively for qualified research applications, not for human administration.
Of all compounds in this catalogue, Retatrutide is the closest to a formal approval. Phase II data is published, peer-reviewed, and compelling — 24% weight loss in a controlled human trial is not extrapolated from rodents. FDA fast-track designation reflects the agency's own read of that data. No approval exists yet — Phase III will determine whether efficacy and safety hold at scale and time.
Lilly initiates Phase I trials for LY3437943; triple agonist concept enters human testing.
24.2% weight loss at 12mg published — the highest recorded for any compound at the time.
FDA fast-track granted; TRIUMPH programme enrolling. Approval decision anticipated 2026+.