Twenty percent lighter in 80 weeks: a record weight-loss trial for type 2 diabetes

Full results from the TRIUMPH-2 trial of retatrutide — Eli Lilly's triple-action weekly shot that mimics three gut hormones (GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon) — were presented at the EASD 2026 meeting in Milan and published simultaneously in The Lancet. Among 1,152 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, those on the highest dose lost up to 20.8% of their body weight at 80 weeks — the biggest percentage loss a diabetes drug trial has ever recorded, finally crossing the 20% threshold that even bariatric surgery studies struggle to beat in people with diabetes. Blood sugar (A1C) fell by up to 1.63 percentage points, and waistlines, blood pressure, and inflammation markers all moved the right way. Side effects were mostly gastrointestinal — nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. The drug is still investigational; a US filing is expected in early 2027.