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GLP-1 drugs still in trials (retatrutide and others)

Updated Sep 29, 2026. Numbers in brackets link to the source each fact comes from.

Retatrutide and several other next-generation weight-loss drugs are still experimental. None of them is approved by the FDA, and none can be bought legally: Lilly says retatrutide is legally available only to people in its clinical trials [1]. This page reports what the ClinicalTrials.gov registrations and the drugmakers’ own announcements say, and nothing more. It lists no prices and no sellers, because there is nothing legal to buy.

If you need a weight-loss medicine now, the approved choices include Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo; see what each GLP-1 is approved for. Foundayo shows how a drug leaves the trial stage: its FDA label now lists orforglipron as a GLP-1 receptor agonist for reducing excess body weight and keeping it off in adults with obesity or overweight [2].

At a glance

Drug Maker What the maker says it does Where it stands
Retatrutide Eli Lilly Acts on GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors [3] Phase 3 results announced; FDA application planned for early 2027 [10]
CagriSema Novo Nordisk Amylin drug cagrilintide plus the GLP-1 drug semaglutide [13] Filed with the FDA; decision expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 [16]
MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide) Amgen Switches on the GLP-1 receptor and blocks the GIP receptor [21] Phase 3 under way [22]
Survodutide Boehringer Ingelheim Weekly injection under the skin [28] Phase 3 [26]
Zenagamtide (formerly amycretin) Novo Nordisk GLP-1 and amylin action in one molecule [30] Phase 3 program planned from early 2026 [31]

Retatrutide (Eli Lilly)

Lilly describes retatrutide as an investigational once-weekly drug that activates three hormone receptors: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon [3].

What is being tested. TRIUMPH-1, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, studies retatrutide in people with obesity or overweight, including subgroups with knee osteoarthritis or obstructive sleep apnea [4]. Lilly calls it a Phase 3, 80-week, randomized, double-blind trial against placebo [5].

Results, as Lilly states them. In TRIUMPH-1, people on the two higher doses lost an average of 25.9% and 28.3% of their body weight [6]. The most common side effects were digestive, led by nausea, which affected up to 42.4% of people on retatrutide versus 14.8% on placebo [7]. In TRIUMPH-2, people with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes lost up to 20.8% at 80 weeks [8]. In TRIUMPH-3, people with severe obesity and heart disease lost up to 22.6% at 80 weeks [9]. These figures come from Lilly’s press releases, not from an FDA review.

Timing. Lilly says its trial data are complete for obesity, sleep apnea and knee osteoarthritis pain, and that it plans to apply to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027 [10].

Legal status. Lilly says no retatrutide medicine has been approved by any regulator in the world and that it cannot be sold to consumers [11]. The FDA adds that retatrutide cannot be used in compounding under federal law and has not been found safe and effective for any condition [12]. Anything sold as retatrutide outside Lilly’s trials is outside the law [1].

CagriSema (Novo Nordisk)

CagriSema is a fixed-dose combination of two drugs: cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin drug, and semaglutide, a GLP-1 drug [13], the ingredient in Wegovy [14]. Its registered REDEFINE 1 trial compares CagriSema with a dummy injection and with each of its two ingredients on their own [15].

Novo filed for FDA approval in December 2025 and says a decision is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 [16]. Until then, Novo says, CagriSema is not approved in the United States [17].

Results, as Novo states them. In REDEFINE 9, people on CagriSema lost 21.0% of their body weight versus 2.0% on placebo [18]. In REDEFINE 4, a head-to-head trial against tirzepatide, the drug in Zepbound [20], CagriSema missed its main goal of showing weight loss at least as good as tirzepatide’s after 84 weeks [19]. The FDA says cagrilintide cannot be used in compounding [12].

MariTide (Amgen)

Amgen describes MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide) as an antibody-peptide conjugate that switches on the GLP-1 receptor and blocks the GIP receptor [21]. MARITIME-1, a Phase 3 weight-management study in adults without type 2 diabetes, is ongoing [22]. Its ClinicalTrials.gov record says the main goal is to show MariTide beats placebo on percent change in body weight [23].

In Amgen’s earlier Phase 2 study, average weight loss reached about 20% in people without type 2 diabetes, compared with 2.6% on placebo [24]. Amgen says its product candidates are not approved by the FDA and that no conclusions should be drawn about their safety or effectiveness [25].

Survodutide (Boehringer Ingelheim)

SYNCHRONIZE-1 is registered as a Phase 3, 76-week study of survodutide against placebo in people with overweight or obesity who do not have type 2 diabetes [26]. The registration says the study tests whether survodutide helps people with overweight or obesity lose weight [27], with participants injecting it or a placebo under the skin once a week [28]. The FDA has warned companies that sold survodutide, retatrutide and similar drugs labeled “for research purposes” [29].

On April 28, 2026, Boehringer Ingelheim announced the first results: adults with obesity or overweight and without type 2 diabetes lost up to an average of 16.6% of their body weight after 76 weeks on survodutide, against 3.2% on placebo [33]. That figure assumes everyone stayed on treatment for the whole study [34]. The company says survodutide is still investigational and not approved for use [35]. Its website blocks automated reading, so we read this release in a browser.

Zenagamtide, formerly amycretin (Novo Nordisk)

Novo describes zenagamtide, formerly called amycretin, as a single long-acting molecule that acts on both GLP-1 and amylin receptors, studied for obesity and for type 2 diabetes, as a shot and as a pill [30]. In June 2025, Novo said it planned to start a Phase 3 program in adults with overweight or obesity in the first quarter of 2026 [31]. One registered trial, AMAZE 7, will test whether it is safe and effective compared with semaglutide in people with excess body weight [32]. Novo says zenagamtide is not approved in the United States [17].

Why you cannot buy these now

  • There is no legal source outside a trial. Lilly says retatrutide cannot be sold to consumers [11]. The FDA urges people not to buy “research” versions of these drugs, which it says are of unknown quality and may be harmful [29].
  • A trial is the only way in. How to find a GLP-1 clinical trial explains how to search ClinicalTrials.gov, what a placebo group means, and what to ask before you sign up.
  • Approved drugs exist today. Compare Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo, and talk with your prescriber about which, if any, fits you. Sellers offering the drugs on this page are covered in fake and unapproved GLP-1 products.

Sources

  1. Retatrutide is an investigational molecule that is legally available only to participants in Lilly's clinical trials. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  2. FOUNDAYO™ is a GLP-1 receptor agonist indicated in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity or adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  3. Retatrutide is an investigational, once-weekly, triple hormone receptor agonist, which activates the body's receptors for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1 ( GLP-1 ), and glucagon. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  4. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of retatrutide in participants who have obesity or overweight (J1I-MC-GZBJ master protocol) including subsets of participants who have knee osteoarthritis (OA) (J1I-MC-GOA1) or who have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (J1I-MC-GSA1). clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  5. TRIUMPH‑1 (NCT05929066) is a Phase 3, 80‑week, randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled master trial comparing the efficacy and safety of retatrutide with placebo in adults with obesity or overweight. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  6. For the primary endpoint, participants taking retatrutide 9 mg and 12 mg lost an average of 64.4 lbs (25.9%) and 70.3 lbs (28.3%), respectively. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  7. The types of adverse events seen were generally consistent with trials of other incretin-based therapies. The most common adverse events among participants treated with retatrutide (4 mg, 9 mg, 12 mg, vs. placebo, respectively) were nausea (28.6%, 38.4% and 42.4% vs. 14.8%), diarrhea (25.2%, 34.1% and 32.0% vs. 13.5%), constipation (23.8%, 25.9% and 26.1% vs. 10.9%), vomiting (10.6%, 22.8% and 25.3% vs. 4.8%), and upper respiratory tract infection (14.2%, 12.2% and 13.1% vs. 11.6%). prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  8. In TRIUMPH-2, adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes, a population with increased difficulties losing weight, lost up to an average of 49.6 lbs (20.8%) at 80 weeks prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  9. In TRIUMPH-3, adults with severe obesity and established cardiovascular disease, with or without type 2 diabetes, lost up to an average of 55.8 lbs (22.6%) at 80 weeks prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  10. The clinical data package is now complete to support global registrations for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and knee osteoarthritis pain, with plans to submit a Biologics License Application to the U.S. FDA in the first quarter of 2027. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  11. No medicine containing retatrutide has yet been approved for human use by any regulatory agency in the world. It cannot be sold to consumers. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  12. Retatrutide and cagrilintide cannot be used in compounding under federal law. Additionally, these are not components of FDA-approved drugs and have not been found safe and effective for any condition. fda.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  13. CagriSema is a fixed-dose combination of a long-acting amylin receptor agonist, cagrilintide, and a GLP-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide. novonordisk.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  14. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  15. The main study will look at how well CagriSema helps participants with excess body weight lose weight compared to a "dummy" medicine and 2 other medicines, cagrilintide and semaglutide. clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  16. Novo filed a New Drug Application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2025 for CagriSema for weight management, demonstrating the company's commitment to lasting health innovation in obesity. A decision is expected in Q4 2026. novonordisk.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  17. CagriSema, zenagamtide, IcoSema, and efruxifermin are not approved in the United States. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  18. In REDEFINE 9, CagriSema 1.0 mg/1.0 mg provided a weight reduction of 21.0% versus 2.0% for placebo, and the primary superiority endpoint was met. novonordisk.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  19. The trial did not achieve its primary endpoint of demonstrating non-inferiority on weight loss for CagriSema compared to tirzepatide after 84 weeks. novonordisk.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  20. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous use dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  21. MariTide is a differentiated antibody-peptide conjugate that activates the glucagon-like peptide-1 ( GLP-1 ) receptor and antagonizes the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR). amgen.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  22. MARITIME-1, a Phase 3 study of MariTide for chronic weight management, is ongoing in adults living with obesity or overweight, without Type 2 diabetes (T2D). amgen.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  23. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate that maridebart cafraglutide is superior to placebo for percent change in body weight. clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  24. In the Phase 2 study, MariTide demonstrated up to ~20% average weight loss in people living with obesity without Type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared with 2.6% in the placebo arm, and up to ~17% average weight loss in people living with obesity with T2D, compared with 1.4% in the placebo arm, per the efficacy estimand. amgen.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  25. The scientific information discussed in this news release related to our product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Such product candidates are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the product candidates. amgen.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  26. A Phase 3, Randomised, Double-blind, Parallel-group, 76-week, Efficacy and Safety Study of BI 456906 Administered Subcutaneously Compared With Placebo in Participants With Overweight or Obesity Without Type 2 Diabetes clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  27. The purpose of this study is to find out whether a medicine called survodutide (BI 456906) helps people living with overweight or obesity to lose weight. clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  28. Participants inject survodutide or placebo under their skin once a week for about one and a half years. clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  29. FDA has warned companies that have illegally sold unapproved drugs containing semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide, survodutide or mazdutide that are falsely labeled “for research purposes” or “not for human consumption.” These products have been sold directly to consumers for human use with dosing instructions. The agency urges consumers not to purchase these products which are of unknown quality and may be harmful to their health. fda.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  30. Zenagamtide, formerly known as amycretin, is a unimolecular long-acting GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist under development by Novo Nordisk, to provide a treatment for adults with overweight or obesity and as a treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes. Zenagamtide is under investigation for oral and subcutaneous administration. prnewswire.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  31. Novo Nordisk is now planning to initiate a phase 3 development programme with amycretin for adults with overweight or obesity during the first quarter of 2026. novonordisk.com, read Sep 28, 2026.
  32. The purpose of this study is to find out if zenagamtide is safe and effective for treating participants who have excess body weight compared to treatment with semaglutide. clinicaltrials.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  33. Adults living with obesity or overweight, without type 2 diabetes, who were treated with survodutide experienced sustained weight loss of up to an average of 16.6% after 76 weeks using the efficacy estimand, a statistically significant decrease versus 3.2% in the placebo arm (p<0.0001). boehringer-ingelheim.com, read Sep 29, 2026.
  34. The efficacy estimand is the estimated treatment effect assuming patients remained on treatment for the entire study duration. boehringer-ingelheim.com, read Sep 29, 2026.
  35. Survodutide is an investigational agent and has not been approved for use; its efficacy and safety has not been established. boehringer-ingelheim.com, read Sep 29, 2026.

This page reports what official sources say; it is not medical advice. Medical disclaimer.