Participants who began a Phase 3 study with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 lost an average of 60.8 pounds, or 23.4%, using Eli Lilly's obesity drug retatrutide over 80 weeks. For those on a 12 mg dose, 59.5% of participants no longer met the BMI criteria for obesity by the end of the trial, Eli Lilly reported. The drug, which operates as a triple agonist, also reduced A1C levels for people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

These results build on earlier findings that showed an average weight loss of 20.8%, or 49.6 pounds, for the 12 mg dose cohort. Lilly will submit a biologics license application for the next-generation treatment to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027.