Retatrutide helped patients with type 2 diabetes lose an average of 44 to 47 pounds over 80 weeks, compared with about 21 pounds for Ozempic.
- Retatrutide reduced A1C by 2.2 percentage points, compared with 1.8 percentage points for Ozempic.
- Lilly plans to seek U.S. FDA approval for Retatrutide in obesity in early 2027.
- The trial compared Retatrutide with injectable Ozempic 2 mg because it is the highest approved dose.
Eli Lilly (LLY) was on investors’ radar on Wednesday after the pharmaceutical behemoth said its experimental diabetes and obesity drug, Retatrutide, delivered more than double the weight loss of Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Ozempic in a head-to-head trial, intensifying the rivalry to capture the fast-growing weight loss drugs market.
LLY shares were down 0.4% in pre-market trading but are on track for their biggest monthly gain in five months. Meanwhile, NVO shares were down 1.1% but are on track to post their first monthly gains in four months.
Retatrutide’s A1C Reduction In Focus
In the Transcend-T2D-2 trial involving 1,298 patients, Retatrutide reduced A1C, a measure of average blood sugar levels, by 2.2 percentage points after 80 weeks, compared with 1.8 points for Ozempic’s highest approved 2 mg dose. Patients on Retatrutide also lost an average of 44 to 47 pounds, compared with about 21 pounds on Ozempic.
Retatrutide is a once-weekly injection that targets three hormone receptors, GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, to help regulate blood sugar and appetite. Lilly is planning to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for obesity in early 2027.
The trial compared Retatrutide with injectable Ozempic 2 mg, the highest approved dose.
“Based on these results and those from across our Phase 3 program, we believe Retatrutide, if approved, could shift the treatment paradigm for people living with type 2 diabetes, obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions,” said Kenneth Custer, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health.
Lilly And Novo’s Weight-Loss Drug Race
Novo and Lilly already have two blockbuster weight-loss drugs each on the market and are developing newer treatments as the market expands rapidly. Morgan Stanley expects the global GLP-1 market for diabetes and obesity treatments to reach $190 billion by 2035.
Lilly has found strong success with its obesity drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, with second-quarter (Q2) Mounjaro sales surging 91% to $9.94 billion and Zepbound revenue climbing 46% to $4.93 billion.
Retatrutide could become the next major revenue driver for Lilly. S&P Global Market Intelligence estimates Retatrutide’s potential peak annual global sales at $25.34 billion by 2037.
Retail’s Take LLY
Retail sentiment surrounding CEG on Stocktwits remained ‘bullish’ over the past 24 hours, amid ‘high’ message volumes.
LLY has significantly outperformed NVO in 2026, gaining more than 18% while Novo fell 26%.
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