Retatrutide: A Powerful New Weight Loss Drug

Nov 22, 2023 | Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the main issues millions of people are dealing with. While some rely on strict diets, gyms, and fitness instructors, others search for something more, like medications.

Retatrutide is one such medication. Clinical research on this drug suggests it may change the future of weight loss drugs. With an impressive 24% efficiency, it’s great news for millions who have given up on losing weight.

While the trial results for retatrutide are promising, the drug must complete three trials before gaining approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As we eagerly await this significant milestone, expanding our weight loss visits shows our dedication to providing healthcare solutions. And once this life-changing drug receives FDA approval, we will be the first in Oklahoma to offer it.

This blog will explore the potential retatrutide holds in the weight loss world. Read on to discover how you can benefit from this innovative drug.

Retatrutide is a new weight loss medication introduced by Eli Lily, the creator of Mounjaro, a diabetes and obesity medication that can cause significant weight loss. Like other weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, Retatritide is injected subcutaneously (beneath the skin) once a week.

Retatrutide is being evaluated to treat type 2 diabetes, obesity, or both. The outcomes so far are promising.

Retatrutide resembles the actions of three hormones: glucagon, GIP, and GLP-1. These hormones promote blood sugar regulation, slow stomach emptying to enhance feelings of fullness and suppress hunger.

Retatrutide was tested in research involving people with type 2 diabetes and a BMI ranging from 25 to 50. People who took higher doses of the medication had dose-dependent weight loss, meaning individuals lost more weight.

Those on the lowest doses of 0.5 mg per week lost little more than 3% of their body weight at 36 weeks (compared to the placebo), whereas those on the highest dose of 12 mg per week lost about 17% of their body weight. The drug also successfully reduced their blood sugar levels.

In another research, retatrutide was tried among people with obesity and weight-related conditions, like high cholesterol. After just 24 weeks, participants had significantly reduced their body weight, ranging from 7.2% for those taking the lowest dose of 1 mg to 17.5% for those taking the highest dose of 12 mg.

At 48 weeks, they had lost even more weight, indicating that people could still lose weight if they continued to take retatrutide for longer. On average, those on the highest dose lost slightly more than 24% of their body weight, while those on the lowest weekly dose (1 mg) lost almost 9%.

These remarkable findings demonstrate that researchers are getting close to developing a medication that can replace bariatric surgery. If you cannot undergo surgery, you can try this medication and other medications in our weight loss clinic in Oklahoma to lose the excess weight.

How Does Retatrutide Work?

All these new weight loss drugs work by imitating the hormones in the body that control hunger and satiety. Wegovy is made to function like a hormone, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Mounjaro functions like GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), another hormone necessary for insulin production.

Retatrutide is designed to work like GLP-1, GIP, and another hormone known as glucagon, which is also involved in controlling appetite.

The chief scientific and medical officer at Eli Lilly, Dr. Dan Skovronsky, said in a statement that the drug’s triple action “may be one of the reasons retatrutide showed this level of weight reduction.”

Medications like these can prevent overeating, help people consume less food, and reach satiety levels. This is a simple weight loss method instead of pushing your body into forced thermogenesis, or ketosis, as many diet drugs do.

Retatrutide forces the body to stop eating, reaching a state of satiety. It also suppresses cravings and hunger pangs that lead people to overindulge in food or crave junk food.

How Does Retatrutide Compare to Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Other Weight-Loss Drugs?

As stated above, weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy belong to a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.

Besides telling your brain you’re full, they also help trigger insulin production. These drugs also slow down the passage of food from your stomach into your small intestine by delaying gastric emptying. Combined, these benefits lower blood sugar, which is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes, and promote weight loss, which is important for people who want to lose weight whether with diabetes or not.

By stimulating the GLP-1 receptor and GIP hormone, Mounjaro (tirzepatide) has a synergistic effect that promotes more weight loss and better blood sugar regulation. In fact, by a year and a half, those on the highest dose of Mounjaro lose about 23% of their body weight on average.

In contrast, those on the highest dose of Semaglutide, or Wegovy, lose about 15% of their body weight in the same amount of time.

While research on retatrutide continues, available studies show that it may enhance the weight loss effect more than other GLP-1 drugs. This is because of its triple effect.

As discussed earlier, participants on the highest dose of retatrutide lost around 24% of their body weight in 48 weeks. So people dropped more weight than those on Mounjaro and did that about two-thirds of the time.

What Are Retatrutide’s Side Effects?

Retatrutide’s side effects are like those of Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, which are mainly gastrointestinal and include constipation, mild-to-moderate nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Researchers reported that these effects were mostly mild to moderate in severity at larger doses and that the usual treatment was to reduce the dosage.

7% of patients also reported having tingling in their skin, and patients on larger doses experienced a peak in their heart rates at 24 weeks of treatment but dropped later.

Medical Weight Loss With Proven Results

NP 2 GO is pleased to provide a transforming Weight Management Program at our Edmond, Oklahoma, clinic. To ensure you receive the support necessary for a successful weight loss journey, we provide regular weight loss virtual visits in over 28 states nationwide, including Washington, D.C., Alaska, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas.

Our approach focuses on long-term, sustainable weight loss with support on diet, physical exercise, and lifestyle management, led by Kara De La Pena, a family nurse practitioner and Weight Management Specialist.

The main objective of our Weight Loss Program is to help you achieve a healthy weight, but it’s more than that. We personalize our program to each individual’s needs, considering exercise regimen, body composition, diet, and behavioral habits.

Many factors can prevent you from losing weight at any age. By understanding those challenges, using different methods and medications, and monitoring your progress, you can overcome plateaus and get the accountability and inspiration you require to achieve your goals.

Why Choose NP2GO Clinic for Weight Management Care?

Successful weight loss requires a lot of factors. At NP 2 GO Clinic Weight Loss, we start with a thorough health history and detailed lab work (blood tests). Our healthcare professional examines your case and tests findings better to understand your dietary requirements, habits, and concerns.

They will also monitor your health to ensure you advance as quickly as possible through the program. With this medical oversight, many people with health issues like diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure, may still lose weight and lead healthier lives with our personalized programs.

We create personalized weight loss plans for each person based on their unique needs, genes, and lifestyle. Besides nutritional counseling, we offer options like prescription weight loss medications like Semaglutide and Mounjaro.

We aim to give you a plan that fits well with your life and helps you healthily lose weight and keep it off. We’re here to support you in achieving your weight loss goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Our team includes healthcare professionals with specialized training in weight management. Many hold board certifications in obesity management, ensuring high expertise and proficiency in addressing weight-related concerns.

Taking the Next Step

With weight management, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach or a quick fix. It involves a team of experts, a personalized plan, and an eye looking ahead to the future.

Keeping a healthy weight is a complicated journey – it’s not just about your daily choices or willpower. Trying to lose and maintain weight by yourself can be challenging and discouraging. By working together, we can support you in reaching your weight loss goals.

Learn how our experts help with weight management at NP2GO Clinic. Schedule an appointment or virtual visit with one of our healthcare professionals today!