Public research evidence case
Retatrutide Phase 2 Obesity Trial: 338 Adults Over 48 Weeks
A source-traceable reading of the randomized Phase 2 obesity trial, including the dose-group results, adverse-event pattern and the limits of applying a clinical intervention record to research material.
- Study design
- Phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
- Sample
- 338 adults
- Duration
- 48 weeks
- Model / population
- Adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition
Structured evidence record
What the source actually reports
Primary question and endpoints
The primary endpoint was percentage change in body weight from baseline at week 24. Secondary endpoints included change at week 48 and the proportions reaching at least 5%, 10% or 15% weight reduction.
Reported result
At week 48, least-squares mean weight change was −8.7%, −17.1%, −22.8% and −24.2% in the 1, 4, 8 and 12 mg groups, versus −2.1% with placebo. Gastrointestinal events were the most common and were dose-related; heart-rate increases peaked at week 24 and then declined.
Limitations
This was a Phase 2 dose-ranging trial, not a head-to-head comparison with tirzepatide or another active treatment. Group sizes were much smaller than a confirmatory Phase 3 program, and 48 weeks cannot establish long-term benefit-risk or post-treatment durability.
Material and interpretation boundary
The publication studied a sponsor-controlled clinical intervention under a defined protocol. It does not verify the identity, formulation, sterility, stability, dose delivery or clinical performance of any catalog research material.
Why this study is frequently cited
Retatrutide was designed to activate GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. The 2023 paper is the central peer-reviewed human dose-ranging record for the compound in obesity, so it is more useful than summaries that mention only the largest percentage change without the dose groups, placebo result or safety observations.
How the trial was structured
Adults meeting the BMI and weight-related-condition criteria were randomized across six retatrutide regimens and placebo. The allocation ratio and different starting-dose schedules were part of the design, which means the study was evaluating dose response and tolerability as well as efficacy signals. The week-24 endpoint was primary; week 48 was secondary.
What the numbers mean
The largest reported mean change occurred in the 12 mg group, but the publication also reported a graded response across the 1, 4 and 8 mg groups and a placebo comparison. Threshold outcomes at week 48 likewise varied by group. These are group-level trial estimates, not a forecast for an individual and not evidence that a product sold under the same compound name is interchangeable with the study intervention.
What remains unresolved
The trial supports a Phase 2 human signal and a dose-response discussion. It does not settle long-term maintenance, rare adverse events, comparative effectiveness, manufacturing equivalence or regulatory approval. Those questions require later trials and regulator-reviewed product data.
Primary records
Sources and traceability
- Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 TrialOpen source ↗
Jastreboff AM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:514–526. PMID 37366315.
- A Study of Retatrutide in Participants Who Have Obesity or OverweightOpen source ↗
ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT04881760.
This page is an editorial reading of a public source, not a customer testimonial, medical advice or a claim that a catalog material reproduces the cited intervention.