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Retatrutide
Medically reviewed by Kindr Health Clinical Team · Last reviewed July 3, 2026
Retatrutide (Eli Lilly, formerly LY3437943) is an investigational injectable that activates three metabolic receptors at once — GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. In the Phase 2 obesity trial published in NEJM (2023), participants on the highest dose lost an average of 24.2% of body weight at 48 weeks. It is not yet FDA-approved. Here is what perimenopausal and postmenopausal women should know about how it works, when it might arrive, and what to do in the meantime.
Retatrutide is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection that activates three gut hormone receptors: GLP-1, GIP, and the glucagon receptor. The first two are familiar — GLP-1 is the target of semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and GIP/GLP-1 dual agonism is what tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) does. Adding glucagon receptor activity is what makes retatrutide novel: glucagon increases resting energy expenditure (calories burned at rest), in addition to the appetite suppression and insulin-sensitization effects of the other two pathways.
Functionally, this means three different mechanisms working together: less hunger, better insulin response after meals, and a modest increase in baseline calorie burn. That combination produced the largest weight loss seen in any incretin trial to date.
The Phase 2 trial enrolled 338 adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) without diabetes. After 48 weeks, mean weight reduction was: placebo −2.1%, retatrutide 1mg −8.7%, 4mg −17.1%, 8mg −22.8%, 12mg −24.2%. For comparison, semaglutide STEP-1 produced ~15% loss and tirzepatide SURMOUNT-1 produced ~21% loss over similar timeframes.
Roughly 1 in 4 participants on the 12mg dose lost more than 30% of their starting body weight — a magnitude previously only seen with bariatric surgery.
Menopause shifts body composition toward visceral (abdominal) fat and lowers resting metabolic rate by 50-100 calories per day on average. Standard weight-loss interventions struggle against that biology. Incretin therapies — including retatrutide once approved — work with that biology rather than against it: they restore appetite signaling, improve insulin sensitivity, and (with retatrutide specifically) raise resting energy expenditure.
No retatrutide trial has yet specifically reported on perimenopausal or postmenopausal women as a sub-group, but the broader obesity population in Phase 2 included women across midlife and the response did not differ meaningfully by age band reported.
GI side effects were the most common adverse events: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation. They were dose-dependent (more frequent at 8mg and 12mg) and typically improved as patients titrated up slowly. Hepatic enzyme elevations were observed in some participants — Phase 3 monitoring includes liver panels.
No new cardiovascular signals have been reported. Long-term safety, oncologic safety (particularly thyroid C-cell tumors, a class concern for GLP-1s), and pregnancy data are still being collected.
Phase 3 obesity trials (TRIUMPH-1 through TRIUMPH-4) began in 2023 and are expected to complete in 2025-2026. FDA approval, if granted, would most likely arrive in late 2026 or 2027. Pricing has not been announced; expect it to be in the same range as tirzepatide.
If you are weighing weight care during menopause now, two FDA-approved GLP-1 medications are available: semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound). Both are evidence-supported for women in midlife and both are offered through Kindr GLP-1 Weight Care when clinically appropriate. We do not prescribe investigational or compounded retatrutide — only FDA-approved formulations through licensed U.S. pharmacies.
No. As of 2025, retatrutide is still in Phase 3 clinical trials. It is not FDA-approved and is not legally prescribable outside of trial enrollment.
Phase 2 results show greater average weight loss (24.2% vs ~21%), but Phase 3 head-to-head data does not exist yet. We will know more after the TRIUMPH program reads out.
There is no FDA-approved retatrutide product yet, so any compounded version is using a non-approved active ingredient. Kindr does not prescribe compounded retatrutide.
FDA-approved options are semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound). Both are available through Kindr when clinically indicated, alongside HRT if appropriate.
Coverage decisions will not be made until after FDA approval. Current GLP-1s for obesity are inconsistently covered.
Medically reviewed by Kindr Health Clinical Team
Kindr Health Inc. — Editorial & Clinical Team (physician-supervised)
NPI 1609792902 · Last reviewed: July 3, 2026
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Information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Prescription medications require clinical evaluation and provider approval. Individual results vary. This is not an emergency service — if you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.