A New Weight Loss Jab: “Godzilla” Emerges as a Potential Game-Changer
Retatrutide: The “Godzilla” of Weight Loss
Exciting trials of the drug, retatrutide, have revealed that it helps people shed a quarter of their body weight in under a year. Unlike other slimming injections, retatrutide not only suppresses the appetite but also speeds up the metabolism.
How Does it Compare to Other Weight Loss Treatments?
A fascinating graphic demonstrates exactly how retatrutide stacks up against its rivals. Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, mimics a hormone called GLP-1 that makes people feel full. Ozempic is currently only available on the NHS for managing blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients. Wegovy, packed with the same active ingredient, was approved last year specifically for weight loss. However, it is also experiencing global shortages.
Tirzepatide, branded as Mounjaro, also mimics GLP-1, as well as a second appetite-controlling hormone called GIP. Studies have found the drug could help obese people lose up to 22.5 per cent of their body weight in 72 weeks.
Retatrutide’s Unique Approach
Retatrutide adds a third hormone called glucagon, which triggers the body to burn more fat, increasing the rate of calorie burning. Trial results, presented yesterday at the European Obesity Congress in Venice, showed it achieved even greater average weight loss – 24 per cent of body weight – over a shorter period of 48 weeks.
Side Effects and Health Benefits
Like all previous GLP-1 drugs, retatrutide has led to side effects including nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation. However, the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the drug also had other health benefits. Participants saw significant improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Four in ten participants were able to come off medication for high blood pressure.
Other Weight Loss Treatments
Orlistat
Orlistat is a pill already available on the NHS for weight loss. Taken up to three times a day with a meal, it prevents fat being absorbed by the digestive system. The undigested fat is instead passed out of the body as faeces. While this stops people gaining more weight, it doesn’t help them lose it by itself. Side effects include fatty or oily poo, oily discharge from the rectum, and high levels of flatulence.
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Sold under the brand name Saxenda, the daily self-administered jab is another weight loss treatment already available on the health service. It works in a similar way to semaglutide by altering the body’s metabolism, making people feel fuller and less hungry. This leads them to eat less and, in theory, lose weight. Saxenda, however, is one of a number of similar drugs that are experiencing a global supply shortage.
Conclusion
Retatrutide, nicknamed “Godzilla,” has emerged as a potential game-changer in the world of weight loss. With its unique approach to speeding up metabolism and suppressing appetite, it has shown impressive results in trials. While side effects are a concern, the benefits of this drug could be a major breakthrough in the fight against obesity.
FAQs
Q: What is retatrutide?
A: Retatrutide is a new weight loss jab that helps people shed a quarter of their body weight in under a year.
Q: How does it work?
A: Retatrutide not only suppresses the appetite but also speeds up the metabolism.
Q: What are the side effects?
A: Like all previous GLP-1 drugs, retatrutide has led to side effects including nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Q: Is it available on the NHS?
A: Larger trials are now underway with results expected in 2026. It means the treatment could be available on the NHS within around three years, pending final regulatory hurdles.
