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Survodutide vs Retatrutide: differences, evidence and safety

Updated September 25, 202612 min

Survodutide vs Retatrutide: differences, evidence and safety

Answer first

Survodutide switches on two hormone receptors, for GLP-1 and glucagon. Retatrutide switches on the same two plus a third, for GIP. Both are experimental drugs in phase 3 and approved nowhere. Survodutide's first phase 3 results appeared in medical journals, retatrutide's only in company press releases. No study comparing the two could be found, so their figures cannot be ranked.

At a glance

AttributeSurvodutideRetatrutide
Substance classIncretins & metabolicIncretins & metabolic
Legal categoryIn clinical developmentIn clinical development
Approval status by market
United StatesInvestigationalInvestigational
European UnionInvestigationalInvestigational
GermanyInvestigationalInvestigational
United KingdomInvestigationalInvestigational
AustraliaNot approvedInvestigational
CanadaNot approvedInvestigational
SwitzerlandNot approvedInvestigational
WADA statusProhibited (S0, 2026)Prohibited (S0, 2026)
Development stagePhase 3Phase 3
Strongest evidencePhase 3 randomised trialPhase 2 randomised trial
Registered trials (ClinicalTrials.gov)1415+
Sequence length29 amino acids39 amino acids
Molecular weight4232 g/molNot established
Last verified2026-09-172026-09-06

How they work

Both drugs are peptides made in the laboratory. Each carries a fatty acid chain that makes it cling to proteins in the blood, so the body removes it slowly [1], [2]. They share two hormone docking points, or receptors, and differ in a third.

Survodutide

  • Two receptors, GLP-1 and glucagon. It is a chain of 29 amino acids. Zealand Pharma discovered it, and Boehringer Ingelheim runs its development [3], [4].
  • The GLP-1 half. It slows the emptying of the stomach and prompts insulin release only when blood sugar is high [5].
  • The glucagon half. Glucagon signalling increases the energy the body burns and mobilises fat stored in the liver [1], [5].
  • Part of the liver effect may bypass weight loss. In a phase 2 liver trial, weight loss carried 71.8 per cent of the effect on liver inflammation. For scarring it carried only 36.3 per cent [6].

Retatrutide

  • Three receptors, GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. It is a chain of 39 amino acids developed by Eli Lilly. In laboratory tests it is more active at the GIP receptor than at the other two [2], [7].
  • Stomach. A dedicated early-stage study confirmed that the stomach empties more slowly in people [8].
  • The glucagon part. The idea is that this receptor raises the energy the body burns and changes how the liver handles fat. No direct measurement of this in people could be found [7].
  • Clearance. The body takes about six days to clear half a dose [9]. For survodutide no such figure could be found in the published record [1].

The core difference is the GIP receptor, a docking point for a gut hormone that adds to insulin release. Retatrutide has it, survodutide does not [7], [1]. For neither drug could a trial be found that separates what each receptor contributes in people [7], [1].

What the studies show

No study that compares survodutide and retatrutide directly could be found in the published record reviewed for this page. Survodutide's only direct comparison is an open semaglutide arm in a 16-week phase 2 trial [10]. Retatrutide's one registered head-to-head trial is TRIUMPH-5, against tirzepatide, which has not reported [11].

Everything below comes from separate trials with different people, doses, endpoints and lengths, so their numbers cannot be set against each other. Two survodutide phase 3 trials are published in journals, while every retatrutide phase 3 figure came only from press releases as of 6 September 2026 [12], [4], [11].

The two phase 3 programmes

DrugTrialWho took partPeopleLengthResults
SurvodutideSYNCHRONIZE-1Obesity without diabetes72576 weeksPublished [12]
SurvodutideSYNCHRONIZE-2Obesity with type 2 diabetes75576 weeksEnded, unpublished [13]
SurvodutideSYNCHRONIZE-MASLDObesity with fatty liver disease21648 weeksPublished [4]
SurvodutideSYNCHRONIZE-CVOTOverweight or obesity, heart events5,531To week 114Ended, unpublished [13]
RetatrutideTRIUMPH-1Obesity without diabetes2,33980 weeksPress release [14]
RetatrutideTRIUMPH-2Obesity with type 2 diabetes1,15280 weeksPress release [15]
RetatrutideTRIUMPH-3Severe obesity with heart disease1,94980 weeksPress release [15]
RetatrutideTRIUMPH-4Obesity with worn knee joints44568 weeksPress release [16]
RetatrutideTRIUMPH-OutcomesHeart and kidney events10,000To February 2029Under way [17]

Weight in adults without diabetes

Phase 3 RCT SYNCHRONIZE-1 randomised 725 adults with obesity and without diabetes, of average age 47.1 years. After 76 weeks, weight was 12.2 per cent below baseline at the lower dose level and 13.0 per cent at the higher one, against 5.4 per cent on placebo. At least 5 per cent was lost by 72.6, 71.9 and 46.3 per cent of participants (p < 0.001) [12].

Company announcement The developer's announcement gives 16.6 against 3.2 per cent for the same trial. That figure estimates the effect had everyone stayed on treatment, while the published figures count everyone randomised, including people who stopped early [18], [12].

Phase 3 (press release only) TRIUMPH-1 followed 2,339 adults without diabetes for 80 weeks. The manufacturer reported losses of 19.0, 25.9 and 28.3 per cent across three retatrutide doses, against 2.2 per cent on placebo. At the highest dose, 45.3 per cent lost at least 30 per cent of their weight, against 0.5 per cent [14].

Phase 2 RCT In a 46-week survodutide trial, 386 treated adults received one of four dose levels. They lost 6.2, 12.5, 13.2 and 14.9 per cent of their weight, against 2.8 per cent on placebo. Only 233 of them finished [19].

Phase 2 RCT In a 48-week retatrutide trial, 338 adults with obesity received one of four doses. They lost 8.7, 17.1, 22.8 and 24.2 per cent, against 2.1 per cent on placebo [20].

The retatrutide press releases give no ranges of uncertainty and no full result tables, and no independent experts had checked their figures [14], [15], [11].

Weight and blood sugar in type 2 diabetes

Phase 3 (press release only) TRIUMPH-2 followed 1,152 adults with type 2 diabetes for 80 weeks. Reported weight loss was 12.7, 19.1 and 20.8 per cent across three doses, against 4.0 per cent on placebo. Glycated haemoglobin, a blood value that reflects average blood sugar over two to three months, fell by 1.4 to 1.6 percentage points from 7.7 per cent [15].

No result yet The matching survodutide trial, SYNCHRONIZE-2, enrolled 755 people with type 2 diabetes. It has ended, and the registry lists no results for it [13].

Phase 2 RCT A 16-week survodutide trial enrolled 411 adults with type 2 diabetes. Glycated haemoglobin fell from 8.07 per cent by between 0.91 and 1.71 percentage points. At the lower dose levels the fall matched that on semaglutide, 1.46 against 1.47 points [10].

Phase 2 RCT A 24-week retatrutide trial enrolled 281 adults with type 2 diabetes. The same value fell by 0.43 points on the lowest dose and 2.02 points on the highest. It barely moved on placebo, at 0.01 points, and fell by 1.41 points on the established drug dulaglutide [21].

Liver

Phase 3 RCT SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD treated 216 adults with obesity and fatty liver disease for 48 weeks. A cut in liver fat of at least 30 per cent, measured by magnetic resonance imaging, was reached by 68.5 against 28.6 per cent on placebo (p < 0.0001). The authors call 48 weeks short for a liver disease [4].

Phase 2 RCT A survodutide trial enrolled 293 adults with an inflamed, scarred fatty liver, confirmed by tissue sample (steatohepatitis, MASH). After 48 weeks the inflammation improved without worse scarring in 47 per cent on the lowest dose level. It was 62 per cent on the middle, 43 on the highest and 14 on placebo [22].

Scarring itself improved by at least one stage in 34, 36 and 34 per cent, against 22 per cent on placebo. That gap is much smaller, and it was not a primary endpoint [22].

Phase 2a RCT A retatrutide sub-study enrolled 98 people without diabetes whose livers were at least 10 per cent fat. After 24 weeks, scans showed the fat content down by 42.9, 57.0, 81.4 and 82.4 per cent across four doses. On placebo it edged up by 0.3 per cent [23].

No retatrutide trial that examined liver tissue could be found in the sources reviewed for this page. For survodutide, two phase 3 trials in inflamed, scarred livers are under way. LIVERAGE, with 1,800 participants, and LIVERAGE-Cirrhosis, with 1,590, are still recruiting; LIVERAGE is due to finish in 2031 [13].

Heart

No result yet SYNCHRONIZE-CVOT enrolled 5,531 adults with overweight or obesity. It measured the time to a first heart-related death, stroke, heart attack or procedure to restore blood flow, up to week 114. It finished on 30 June 2026. The registry lists no results, and only its design and starting characteristics could be found in print [13], [24].

Phase 3 (press release only) TRIUMPH-3 enrolled 1,949 adults with severe obesity and diagnosed heart disease. Counted broadly, serious heart events numbered 44 on retatrutide against 52 on placebo (hazard ratio 0.82, range 0.55 to 1.22). Counted narrowly, they numbered 27 against 23 (hazard ratio 1.12, range 0.64 to 1.96) [15].

Both ranges include no difference, so they show neither a benefit nor a harm. The dedicated retatrutide heart trial, TRIUMPH-Outcomes, enrols 10,000 people and will not reach its main result before February 2029 [17].

Outcomes studied for only one of the two

  • Retatrutide and knee pain (press release only). In TRIUMPH-4, 445 adults with worn knee joints rated their pain over 68 weeks. The score fell by 4.5 and 4.4 points from 6.0, against 2.4 points on placebo. No ranges of uncertainty were published [16].

Safety

Neither drug has approved product information, so every figure below comes from trial reports, for retatrutide's late-stage trials from press releases [13], [14]. The lists are not a ranking.

Survodutide

  • Stomach and bowel. In SYNCHRONIZE-1 such symptoms affected 80.9 and 89.7 per cent of the two treated groups, against 47.9 per cent on placebo. Most were mild or moderate, and no deaths were reported [12].
  • Single symptoms. In the phase 2 liver trial, nausea affected 66 against 23 per cent, diarrhoea 49 against 23 and vomiting 41 against 4. Serious events occurred in 8 against 7 per cent [22].
  • Stopping treatment. Only 233 of 386 participants, or 60.4 per cent, completed the 46-week phase 2 obesity trial. In an early Japanese study, 10 of 27 treated participants, or 37.0 per cent, stopped early [19], [25].
  • Heart and vessels. In the first multiple-dose study, 10 of 80 participants, or 12.5 per cent, withdrew. The most common reason was a heart or vessel event, in 6, or 7.5 per cent [5]. A review names a modest rise in heart rate, but the trial reports give no figures for it [26].

Retatrutide. All TRIUMPH figures below come from company press releases. The first three bullets compare the highest dose with placebo in TRIUMPH-1 [14], [16].

  • Stomach and bowel. Nausea affected 42.4 against 14.8 per cent, diarrhoea 32.0 against 13.5, constipation 26.1 against 10.9 and vomiting 25.3 against 4.8 [14].
  • Odd skin sensations. Tingling, burning or numbness (dysesthesia) affected 12.5 against 0.9 per cent. In TRIUMPH-4 it reached 8.8 and 20.9 per cent against 0.7, mostly mild [14], [16].
  • Stopping treatment. In TRIUMPH-1, 4.1, 6.9 and 11.3 per cent stopped across the three doses, against 4.9 per cent on placebo [14].
  • A faster pulse. In the phase 2 obesity trial the heart rate rose with the dose and peaked at week 24 [20]. One independent assessment puts the largest rise at 6.7 beats per minute; another flags mild to moderate irregular heartbeat [27], [28].

Material sold outside trials. The American medicines agency names survodutide among the compounds sold illegally under a research label and calls such products of unknown quality [29].

A 2026 case report describes a man with type 1 diabetes who injected a product sold online as retatrutide. He developed a dangerous build-up of acids in the blood and sudden kidney damage [30].

Why this page lists no doses. Both substances are experimental and approved nowhere, and the register checks found no authority review of what amount a person tolerates [13], [31]. This page therefore names doses only by their rank among those tested, never as an amount. In the survodutide liver trial, the highest level even did worse than the middle one [22].

Survodutide and retatrutide are approved nowhere. Register checks found no approval in the United States, the European Union, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada or Switzerland [32], [33], [31], [34]. Survodutide's European PRIME entry and American accelerated-development designation only speed development up [35], [36]. Retatrutide's manufacturer has announced a US application for early 2027 but had not filed it by 6 September 2026 [15]. In sport, both are banned at all times under section S0, which covers unapproved substances [37], [38]. The monographs reflect the position on 17 and 6 September 2026.

Survodutide

Status at a glance

MarketStatusDate
United StatesInvestigational—
European UnionInvestigational—
GermanyInvestigational—
United KingdomInvestigational—
AustraliaNot approved—
CanadaNot approved—
SwitzerlandNot approved—
Development stage
Phase 3
Strongest evidence
Phase 3 randomised trial
WADA status
Prohibited (S0, 2026)
Last verified
2026-09-17
Version
1.0

This page lists no doses.

Retatrutide

Status at a glance

MarketStatusDate
United StatesInvestigational—
European UnionInvestigational—
GermanyInvestigational—
United KingdomInvestigational—
AustraliaInvestigational—
CanadaInvestigational—
SwitzerlandInvestigational—
Development stage
Phase 3
Strongest evidence
Phase 2 randomised trial
WADA status
Prohibited (S0, 2026)
Last verified
2026-09-06
Version
1.0

This page lists no doses.

Used together?

The myPeptides blend directory lists no product that combines survodutide and retatrutide, and no entry that contains survodutide. Its only entry containing retatrutide, Loretta, pairs it with eloralintide, an amylin analogue, that is a lab-made version of the appetite hormone amylin. Both are in phase 3 and approved nowhere.

No study of the two drugs given together could be found in the sources reviewed. Retatrutide itself already acts on the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors that survodutide targets [7].

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, survodutide or retatrutide?

The evidence does not say. In SYNCHRONIZE-1, among 725 adults without diabetes, survodutide lowered weight by 12.2 and 13.0 per cent over 76 weeks, against 5.4 per cent on placebo. In TRIUMPH-1, among 2,339 adults without diabetes and reported only by press release, retatrutide's highest dose lowered weight by 28.3 per cent over 80 weeks. No study comparing the two directly could be found, so these figures cannot be ranked.

Is survodutide or retatrutide safer?

No trial comparing their safety directly could be found. With both drugs, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting are the most common complaints. Survodutide's record includes many people stopping early in its trials, retatrutide's a faster pulse and odd skin sensations. Neither has approved product information, and survodutide's heart safety trial has ended without a published result.

What is the difference between survodutide and retatrutide?

Survodutide switches on two hormone receptors, for GLP-1 and glucagon. Retatrutide switches on those two plus the receptor for GIP. Survodutide comes from Zealand Pharma and Boehringer Ingelheim, retatrutide from Eli Lilly. Both are experimental drugs in phase 3, but only survodutide has phase 3 results in medical journals.

Can survodutide and retatrutide be taken together?

No study of the two drugs given together could be found, and the myPeptides blend directory lists no combination of them. Retatrutide already acts on both receptors that survodutide targets. Both are approved nowhere.

Is survodutide or retatrutide approved anywhere?

No. Register checks in September 2026 found no approval for either in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada or Switzerland. Retatrutide's manufacturer has announced a US application for early 2027 but had not filed it by 6 September 2026. Survodutide's support designations in Europe and the United States speed development up but are not approvals.

What are the SYNCHRONIZE and TRIUMPH trials of survodutide and retatrutide?

SYNCHRONIZE is the phase 3 programme for survodutide, TRIUMPH the one for retatrutide. SYNCHRONIZE-1 and SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD are published in journals, while SYNCHRONIZE-2 and the heart trial SYNCHRONIZE-CVOT have ended without published results. TRIUMPH-1 to TRIUMPH-4 have reported only by press release, and TRIUMPH-Outcomes will not reach its main result before February 2029.

Have survodutide and retatrutide been tested in fatty liver disease?

Yes, but in different ways. Survodutide was tested on liver tissue samples in 293 adults with inflamed, scarred livers and on liver fat in a phase 3 trial of 216 adults. For retatrutide, a sub-study in 98 people measured liver fat on scans over 24 weeks. No retatrutide trial of liver tissue could be found in the sources reviewed for this page.

Are survodutide and retatrutide banned in sport?

Yes, both at all times, in and out of competition. Neither is named on the 2026 prohibited list; both fall under section S0, which covers substances that no health authority has approved. Substances in that section count as specified substances, which affects how a sanction is measured but not the ban.

Is survodutide just retatrutide without GIP?

No. They are different molecules from different companies: survodutide is a chain of 29 amino acids, retatrutide one of 39. They share the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, but only retatrutide also acts on the GIP receptor. The body takes about six days to clear half a dose of retatrutide, while no such figure for survodutide could be found in the published record.

Sources

  1. Zimmermann T, Thomas L, Baader-Pagler T, et al. (2022). BI 456906: Discovery and preclinical pharmacology of a novel GCGR/GLP-1R dual agonist with robust anti-obesity efficacy. Molecular Metabolism 66:101633. PMID 36356832. DOI 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101633.
  2. FDA Global Substance Registration System. Substance record "Retatrutide", UUID 52f7c547-14ed-454d-9bc2-c9137d0b5922, UNII NOP2Y096GV. Retrieved 6 September 2026. https://gsrs.ncats.nih.gov/api/v1/substances(52f7c547-14ed-454d-9bc2-c9137d0b5922)?view=full
  3. FDA/NCATS Global Substance Registration System, UNII 2ALA66NS64, queried 17 September 2026. Peptide sequence of both subunits, the side-chain acylation, the C-terminal amide and the substitution at position 2.
  4. Kaplan LM, Startseva E, le Roux CW, et al.; SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD Investigators (2026). Survodutide in adults with obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Nature Medicine 32(8):2948-2958. PMID 42252333. DOI 10.1038/s41591-026-04479-3. Author correction of 25 August 2026, PMID 42642663. Contains the licence statement naming Zealand Pharma and Boehringer Ingelheim.
  5. Jungnik A, Arrubla Martinez J, Plum-Mörschel L, et al. (2023). Phase I studies of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the dual glucagon receptor/GLP-1 receptor agonist BI 456906. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 25(4):1011-1023. PMID 36527386. DOI 10.1111/dom.14948.
  6. Noureddin M, Sanyal AJ, Bedossa P, et al. (2026). Weight reduction-dependent and -independent effects of survodutide on liver endpoints: mediation analysis of a phase 2 trial in MASH. Hepatology, online ahead of print. PMID 42545725. DOI 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001825. 170 participants with fibrosis stage 2 or 3 and paired biopsies.
  7. Coskun T et al. (2022). LY3437943, a novel triple glucagon, GIP, and GLP-1 receptor agonist for glycemic control and weight loss: from discovery to clinical proof of concept. Cell Metabolism 34(9):1234-1247. PMID 35985340. DOI 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.07.013
  8. Urva S et al. (2023). The novel GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist retatrutide delays gastric emptying. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 25(9):2784-2788. PMID 37311727. DOI 10.1111/dom.15167
  9. Urva S et al. (2022). LY3437943, a novel triple GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor agonist in people with type 2 diabetes: a phase 1b, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, multiple-ascending dose trial. The Lancet 400(10366):1869-1881. PMID 36354040. DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02033-5
  10. Blüher M, Rosenstock J, Hoefler J, Manuel R, Hennige AM (2024). Dose-response effects on HbA1c and bodyweight reduction of survodutide compared with placebo and open-label semaglutide in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 67(3):470-482. PMID 38095657. DOI 10.1007/s00125-023-06053-9. Correction 2024;67(4):758.
  11. ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Study records for NCT03841630, NCT04143802, NCT04867785, NCT04881760, NCT05882045, NCT05929066, NCT05929079, NCT05931367, NCT05936151, NCT06260722, NCT06297603, NCT06354660, NCT06383390, NCT06662383, NCT06859268, NCT07035093 and NCT07165028. Retrieved 6 September 2026. https://clinicaltrials.gov/api/v2/studies/NCT05929066
  12. le Roux CW, Wharton S, Startseva E, et al.; SYNCHRONIZE-1 Investigators (2026). Survodutide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Adults with Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine 395(8):776-787. PMID 42253238. DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2600751.
  13. ClinicalTrials.gov, API v2, queried 17 September 2026. Overall query for the substance returns 26 trials, 25 sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and one by University Medical Center Groningen. Individual records read: NCT06066528 (SYNCHRONIZE-2), NCT06077864 (SYNCHRONIZE-CVOT), NCT06214741 (SYNCHRONIZE-CN), NCT06176365 (SYNCHRONIZE-JP), NCT06632444 (LIVERAGE), NCT06632457 (LIVERAGE-Cirrhosis). All four completed phase 3 trials show hasResults false.
  14. Eli Lilly and Company. Press release, 21 May 2026, TRIUMPH-1 topline results. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-delivered-powerful-weight-loss-in-pivotal-phase-3-obesity-trial-302778859.html
  15. Eli Lilly and Company. Press release, 23 July 2026, TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 topline results and announced regulatory submission. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-successful-in-two-additional-phase-3-obesity-trials-delivering-significant-improvements-in-weight-and-a1c-302832674.html
  16. Eli Lilly and Company. Press release, 11 December 2025, TRIUMPH-4 topline results. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-delivered-weight-loss-of-up-to-an-average-of-71-2-lbs-along-with-substantial-relief-from-osteoarthritis-pain-in-first-successful-phase-3-trial-302638804.html
  17. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT06383390, TRIUMPH-Outcomes; n = 10,000, primary completion February 2029. Retrieved 6 September 2026. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06383390
  18. Zealand Pharma A/S. Company announcement of 28 April 2026 on the topline results of SYNCHRONIZE-1, distributed via GlobeNewswire. Reports 16.6 against 3.2 per cent and 85.1 against 38.8 per cent responders under the efficacy estimand.
  19. le Roux CW, Steen O, Lucas KJ, Startseva E, Unseld A, Hennige AM (2024). Glucagon and GLP-1 receptor dual agonist survodutide for obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 12(3):162-173. PMID 38330987. DOI 10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00356-X. Erratum 2026;14(2):e2.
  20. Jastreboff AM et al. (2023). Triple-hormone-receptor agonist retatrutide for obesity — a phase 2 trial. New England Journal of Medicine 389(6):514-526. PMID 37366315. DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2301972
  21. Rosenstock J et al. (2023). Retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, for people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2 trial conducted in the USA. The Lancet 402(10401):529-544. PMID 37385280. DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01053-X
  22. Sanyal AJ, Bedossa P, Fraessdorf M, et al.; 1404-0043 Trial Investigators (2024). A Phase 2 Randomized Trial of Survodutide in MASH and Fibrosis. New England Journal of Medicine 391(4):311-319. PMID 38847460. DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2401755.
  23. Sanyal AJ et al. (2024). Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial. Nature Medicine 30(7):2037-2048. PMID 38858523. DOI 10.1038/s41591-024-03018-2
  24. Platz E, Kaplan LM, le Roux CW, et al. (2026). Survodutide for the Treatment of Obesity: Baseline Characteristics of the SYNCHRONIZE Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial. JACC: Heart Failure 14(5):102780. PMID 41329105. DOI 10.1016/j.jchf.2025.102780.
  25. Yazawa R, Ishida M, Balavarca Y, Hennige AM (2023). A randomized Phase I study of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of BI 456906 in healthy Japanese men with overweight or obesity. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 25(7):1973-1984. PMID 36974349. DOI 10.1111/dom.15064.
  26. Arun AJ, Darji B, Baig M, Frishman WH, Aronow WS (2025). Survodutide: A Dual GLP-1/Glucagon Agonist Reshaping Cardiometabolic Care. Cardiology in Review, online ahead of print. PMID 40963161. DOI 10.1097/CRD.0000000000001062.
  27. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs (2023). Retatrutide showing promise in obesity (and type 2 diabetes). PMID 37947489
  28. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs (2023). Retatrutide: a triple incretin receptor agonist for obesity management. PMID 37902090
  29. US Food and Drug Administration. "FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss", content current as of 1 September 2026, retrieved 17 September 2026. Names survodutide among the substances sold under a false research label and calls the products of unknown quality. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss
  30. Cureus (2026). Online-sourced retatrutide complicating impending diabetic ketoacidosis in a patient with type 1 diabetes and concurrent Shigella gastroenteritis. PMID 42669023
  31. openFDA. Drugs@FDA API query for generic name and brand name "retatrutide"; response NOT_FOUND. Retrieved 6 September 2026. https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=openfda.generic_name:retatrutide+OR+openfda.brand_name:retatrutide
  32. openFDA, queried 17 September 2026: the approvals, label and enforcement endpoints each returned no record for the substance, while the control query for semaglutide returned records in all three.
  33. European Medicines Agency, dataset of European public assessment reports, downloaded and searched 17 September 2026: no entry for the substance name or the development code, against a hit for the control substance semaglutide in the same file.
  34. European Medicines Agency. Medicines search, full text "retatrutide"; no authorised medicine entry. Retrieved 6 September 2026. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines?search_api_fulltext=retatrutide
  35. European Medicines Agency, list of medicines currently in the PRIME scheme, EMA/521657/2016, version of 10 August 2026: the development code BI 456906 is listed under gastroenterology and hepatology for the treatment of fatty liver disease with fibrosis. PRIME is a development support scheme, not an approval.
  36. Zealand Pharma A/S and Boehringer Ingelheim. Company announcement of 8 October 2024 via GlobeNewswire on the American Breakthrough Therapy designation of September 2024 for non-cirrhotic liver disease with moderate to advanced fibrosis, and on the start of the two phase 3 liver trials.
  37. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, in force 1 January 2026. Class S0 read in full on 17 September 2026; no match for the substance name or the development code, and classes S2 and S4.4 checked individually.
  38. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, in force from 1 January 2026; official text as annex to BGBl. III No. 219/2025; sections S0 and S2 reviewed in full. Retrieved 6 September 2026. https://rdb.manz.at/__api/documents/ris.c.BGBl__III_Nr__219_2025/attachments/ris.c.BGBl__III_Nr__219_2025.Anlagen_0002_F0BD5BBE_465B_4C18_BFE4_16E75843E435.pdf

Further reading

Last reviewed: September 2026

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