by The retatrutide trials Eli Lilly has reported so far enrolled people who were overweight or had obesity, and some groups also had type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The retatrutide trial details reported so far do not include an Ozempic group. As of October 2026, ABC News reports that retatrutide remains experimental and has not been approved by the FDA.
Who was in the retatrutide studies?
Eli Lilly, the drugmaker, has reported several phase 3 trials of retatrutide in 2026. Each one enrolled a different group, so the numbers should not be lumped together.
| Study group | Who was in it | Length | Results Eli Lilly reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRIUMPH-1 | People who were overweight or had obesity; average starting weight 248.5 pounds (Scientific American) | 80 weeks | Average loss of 70.3 pounds (28.3% of body weight) on the highest 12 mg dose, as reported by Eli Lilly; about 45% on the 12 mg dose lost up to 30% of body weight (ABC News) |
| Extension of TRIUMPH-1 | People with a BMI of 35 or above (The Independent) | Average of 104 weeks | Over 30% of body weight lost on the highest dose (The Independent) |
| TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 | Overweight or obese people who also had type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease (BioPharma Dive) | 80 weeks in the diabetes group | 21% loss in the diabetes group; 23% in the cardiovascular disease group, at the highest doses |
| Phase 3 trial in type 2 diabetes (Yahoo Health) | People with type 2 diabetes | 40 weeks | A1C down 1.7 to 2 percent; average loss of up to 36.6 pounds on the 12 mg dose |
TRIUMPH-1 is the study Scientific American describes as a phase 3 trial, with participants classified as overweight or having obesity. Its 12 mg weekly injection gave the largest average loss, 70.3 pounds (28.3% of body weight) over 80 weeks, as reported by Eli Lilly.
BioPharma Dive reported that TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 added people who also had type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Their weight loss was lower than in TRIUMPH-1, and an RBC Capital Markets analyst said that fit expectations for people with those conditions, who often lose less weight.
Yahoo Health reported on a 40-week phase 3 trial in people with type 2 diabetes. It quotes Rozalina McCoy, an endocrinologist at the University of Maryland who was not involved in the trial, calling the data preliminary. Daniel Drucker of the University of Toronto, also not involved in the trial, has previously consulted for Eli Lilly.
Who should not assume these results apply to them?
The numbers describe the people in each study. Be careful about assuming they apply to you if one of these points is true.
- You are much lighter than the study groups. TRIUMPH-1 started at an average of 248.5 pounds. If you start far lower, the average loss figures describe a different starting point.
- You have type 1 diabetes. Diabetes UK says GLP-1 medicines are not licensed in the UK to treat type 1 diabetes, and are not a replacement for insulin. If you live in the US, check the US label with your clinician.
- You are hoping for heart protection. BioPharma Dive reports that Lilly's studies were not designed to prove whether retatrutide lowers the risk of heart attacks or strokes. In TRIUMPH-3, there were 27 MACE-3 events (cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks or strokes) in the treatment group and 23 in the placebo group. William Blair analyst Andy Hsieh said that made it “difficult to draw solid conclusions at this point.”
- You are planning a pregnancy. Diabetes UK advises speaking with a healthcare professional if you are planning a pregnancy while using a GLP-1 medicine.
Is Ozempic part of the retatrutide trial?
No Ozempic group appears in the retatrutide trial details reported so far. Whether any retatrutide trial compared it head-to-head with Ozempic is a question to put to Eli Lilly, or to check in the full published trial report. The National Academy of Medicine notes that GLP-1 medicines were first prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, and some are now approved for weight management in people age 12 or older. If you have heard about a pill version, see when the Ozempic pill will be available.
| Medicine | Source | Who was studied | Average weight loss reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide (active ingredient in Wegovy, per ABC News) | Trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (ABC News) | Adults taking semaglutide; check the published trial for enrollment details | 14.9% over 68 weeks |
| Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound | Trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (ABC News) | Adults taking tirzepatide; check the published trial for enrollment details | Up to 22.5% over 72 weeks |
| Retatrutide, TRIUMPH-1 | Eli Lilly phase 3 trial | People with overweight or obesity | 70.3 pounds (28.3% of body weight) on average at the highest 12 mg dose over 80 weeks, as reported by Eli Lilly |
The numbers in this table come from different trials, so they cannot show which medicine works better. No retatrutide trial with an Ozempic group is described in the reported details, so check the full published report before you act on a headline comparing the two. Look for whether both numbers come from the same head-to-head trial.
Is retatrutide FDA approved yet?
Not yet. As of October 2026, ABC News reports that retatrutide remains experimental and has not yet been approved by the FDA. BioPharma Dive reported that Eli Lilly plans to file for FDA approval in the first quarter of 2027, and that Lilly told CNBC it needed more time to gather manufacturing and quality-control data. ABC News gives a later expected window, late 2027 or early 2028. For more on status and timing, read is retatrutide fda approved.
ABC News reports that the TRIUMPH-1 results released in May 2026 had not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Medical professionals quoted by ABC News say the FDA will evaluate safety and effectiveness before retatrutide is available outside clinical trials.
ABC News also reports that retatrutide sold outside clinical trials may not be authentic, and its contents and dose would be unknown and potentially very dangerous.
What should I do next?
- Compare your own situation with the groups in the first table.
- Take the table to your doctor and ask whether a retatrutide trial could fit you.
- To ask about enrolling in a study, contact the sponsor, Eli Lilly, and your clinician.
- Look for the full peer-reviewed publication before you treat the numbers as final.
- Check any headline that compares retatrutide with Ozempic against whether both numbers come from the same trial.
By the New Life Wellness Guide Editorial Team