Eli Lilly Drug Retatrutide Shows Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes Trial

Why it matters locally: Tennessee, like the rest of the nation, faces a significant public health challenge with Type 2 diabetes. The potential availability of new and effective treatments, such as retatrutide, could impact healthcare strategies and patient outcomes across the state, including for the approximately 12% of the adult population living with diabetes.

Eli Lilly's experimental drug retatrutide led to significant weight loss among individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Participants in a late-stage clinical trial lost up to 60 pounds, which represented approximately 23% of their body weight. Researchers published the findings from the study in The Lancet on Tuesday. The results detail the effects of retatrutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, in individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.