Retatrutide
An investigational once-weekly injection that activates three hormone receptors: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. It is not approved anywhere in the world.
General information, not medical advice. Docalo does not sell medicines, and prescription-only medicines are prescribed only after an individual medical assessment.
What Retatrutide is and how it works
Retatrutide is a single molecule designed to act on three receptors involved in appetite and energy use: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. It is being studied in Phase 3 trials.
Because it is not authorised, there is no approved product, label or legitimate pharmacy stock. Products sold online as retatrutide are unregulated, and regulators have warned about them.
Authorisation status and label
- No one outside a clinical trial: retatrutide has no authorised indication in the EU or anywhere else.
- Phase 3 trials enrol adults with obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes, under their study protocols.
- Each trial sets its own eligibility criteria, and the trial team checks them.
Only a doctor who knows your history can decide whether a medicine suits you.
How to use Retatrutide
Only within a clinical trial. In trials it is given as one injection under the skin once a week, with doses built up in steps set by the study protocol. There is no authorised dosing outside a trial.
Finding a registered trial. Registered trials are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov and in the EU Clinical Trials Information System, with their sites and eligibility criteria.
Common side effects
Get urgent medical help if (whatever the frequency): Severe, persistent stomach pain, often spreading to the back, A racing heartbeat, chest pain or fainting, Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or trouble breathing
Reported in trials (frequencies vary by dose and study): nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, burning or tingling skin (dysaesthesia), increased heart rate
Safety
Do not use Retatrutide if
- You are outside a registered clinical trial, because no authorised product exists
- You are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding
- The product comes from an online seller, whatever its label says, because its content, dose and sterility are unchecked
Products sold online as retatrutide have been linked to hospital admissions. Anyone who has used one and feels unwell should seek medical care and bring the product with them.
Your questions answered
Is retatrutide approved in the EU?
Can a doctor prescribe retatrutide?
More questions
Is retatrutide sold online an approved medicine?
References
This page summarises the official product information and the published sources below.
- Triple-hormone-receptor agonist retatrutide for obesity: a phase 2 trial. N Engl J Med 2023;389:514-26 New England Journal of Medicine, 2023
- TRANSCEND-T2D-1 The Lancet, 2026
- FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss US Food and Drug Administration, 2026
- Hospitalizations, enforcement gaps and influencers tied to unapproved retatrutide products Public Citizen, 2026
- Authorised medicines register European Medicines Agency, 2026
Other medicines used in weight management
Talk to a doctor about weight care
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Talk to a doctor about weight careGeneral information, not medical advice. Docalo does not sell medicines, and prescription-only medicines are prescribed only after an individual medical assessment.
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