Research Compound Information

RETATRUTIDE: 10/20/40 mg ($50/$75/$100)

Overview

Retatrutide is a synthetic peptide designed to activate three different hormone receptors at once. It is an active investigational drug currently in late-stage clinical trials and is not approved by any regulatory authority anywhere in the world.

In plain terms

After a meal, the gut releases a set of chemical messengers that tell the rest of the body food has arrived. Two of these are called GLP-1 and GIP. They act on the pancreas, the brain, and other tissues to coordinate the response — adjusting insulin release, signaling fullness, and changing how quickly the stomach empties. A third hormone, glucagon, works in something like the opposite direction: it is released when fuel is scarce and prompts the liver to put stored energy back into circulation.

Most peptides of this general family imitate one of those messengers. Retatrutide was engineered to imitate all three simultaneously from a single molecule. The scientific interest lies in the interaction between the three signals rather than in any one of them — pathways that partly oppose one another produce combined effects that are difficult to predict from studying each separately, which is precisely why the combination is the subject of ongoing trials.

Technical description

Retatrutide (development code LY3437943) is a synthetic single-chain peptide acting as a balanced triple agonist at the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR), and the glucagon receptor (GCGR). All three are class B G protein-coupled receptors signaling predominantly through Gs and adenylyl cyclase activation.

The backbone is derived from the GIP sequence with substitutions conferring cross-reactivity at GLP-1R and GCGR. A C20 fatty diacid moiety is conjugated via a linker to promote reversible serum albumin binding, extending circulating half-life to a range supporting weekly-interval dosing in clinical protocols. Reported receptor potency is weighted toward GIPR, with GLP-1R and GCGR activity at lower relative potency.

Development code: LY3437943
CAS number: 2381089-83-2
Molecular weight: ~4731 g/mol
Class: Synthetic lipidated peptide
Receptor targets: GLP-1R, GIPR, GCGR (triple agonist)
Half-life extension: C20 fatty diacid / albumin binding
Appearance: White lyophilized powder
Storage: Lyophilized: −20 °C, protected from light. Reconstituted: 2–8 °C.

Investigational compound. Retatrutide is an active clinical-stage investigational drug. It has not completed clinical development, has not been reviewed or approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority, and its full safety profile in humans has not been established. Published data derives from controlled clinical trials conducted under regulatory oversight.

Regulatory status

Retatrutide holds no marketing authorization in any jurisdiction. It is not an approved drug, not a dietary supplement, and not a compounding-eligible substance. Material supplied for laboratory research is not manufactured, tested, or released under pharmaceutical standards and bears no relationship to clinical trial material.

Research use only. This compound is described and supplied for laboratory research purposes exclusively. It is not a drug, dietary supplement, or cosmetic, and is not intended or approved for human or veterinary use, consumption, diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. Not for internal or external use in humans or animals. The information above summarizes published scientific literature and is provided for reference; it is not guidance for use in any living subject.