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Retatrutide beats Ozempic on blood sugar and weight
In an 80-week phase III trial, Lilly's investigational drug retatrutide cut HbA1c by 2.2 percentage points and body weight by 20.9% at the top dose.
29 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
Eli Lilly has announced results from a phase III head-to-head trial, TRANSCEND-T2D-2, comparing once-weekly retatrutide with Novo Nordisk's Ozempic. The study enrolled 1,298 adults with type 2 diabetes who were not adequately controlled on metformin, with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor. It ran for 80 weeks and met its primary endpoint and all key secondary endpoints.
Retatrutide lowered HbA1c and body weight more than Ozempic did. Weight loss was far greater: 20.9% on the highest dose, against 9.4% on Ozempic. Retatrutide also brought bigger improvements in non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure.
Detailed results will be presented at a future medical meeting.
The results suggest retatrutide may offer more than Ozempic for people with type 2 diabetes who need better blood sugar control and weight loss.