Retatrutide Weight Loss Injections - Currently Unavailable
What is Retatrutide?
Retatrutide is an injectable weight loss treatment currently going through clinical trials for managing weight loss and type 2 diabetes. It is unavailable in the UK.
It is being developed by Eli Lilly, who manufacture Mounjaro.
When will Retatrutide be available in the UK?
Retatrutide is not available in the UK as it is still in phase 3 clinical trials. This trial is expected to end in May 2026.
After these trials, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) would need to review the resulting data for safety and effectiveness. However, the approval process can take months. With that in mind, Retatrutide is unlikely to be available in the UK for the immediate future.
What is Retatrutide used for?
Retatrutide is currently being tested for the management of weight loss and obesity, as well as type 2 diabetes.
How does Retatrutide work?
Retatrutide is a triple agonist, meaning that it imitates three different hormones normally released by the body while eating: glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon. This activates the receptors in the body for those hormones, resulting in:
Suppressed appetite, feeling fuller for longer
Slower digestion
Breaking fat down more effectively to use for energy
Used alongside lifestyle changes, this may assist in weight loss.
Does Retatrutide burn fat?
No - Retatrutide doesn’t burn fat. However, by mimicking the effect of glucagon (helping to breaking down fatty acids) it may be able to help your body break down fat more effectively.
Weight loss treatments like Retatrutide work at their most efficient alongside healthy lifestyle changes like a reduced-calorie diet or increased exercise.
How effective is Retatrutide for weight loss?
As Retatrutide is still in testing, there are no final results to point to regarding its effectiveness for weight loss.
Previous trials for Retatrutide on 338 adults saw reductions in body weight, however it was noted that these results ‘warrant further investigation in the planned phase 3 trial to inform the efficacy and safety of retatrutide for the treatment of obesity’.
Retatrutide side effects
Similarly to other weight loss treatments, using Retatrutide can result in side effects.
Previous clinical trials resulted in 73% to 94% of participants experiencing adverse effects (compared to 70% in the placebo group). The most commonly reported of these were:
Nausea
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
Constipation
These mostly happened during dose escalation, though as with the effectiveness statistics noted above may be updated following further testing.
Treatments
Available treatment options and costs.
Mounjaro 2.5mg-15mg
(Contains tirzepatide)
| 2.5mg | £169.99
|
| 5mg | £189.99 |
| 7.5mg | £244.99 |
| 10mg | £279.99 |
| 12.5mg | £289.99 |
| 15mg | £299.99 |
Wegovy 0.25mg-7.2mg
(Contains semaglutide)
| 0.25mg | £94.99 | |
| 0.5mg | £114.99 | |
| 1mg | £144.99 | |
| 1.75mg | £168.99 | |
| 2.4mg | £189.99 | |
| 7.2mg | NEW | £289.99 |
Frequently asked questions
Currently it isn’t known if Retatrutide will need a prescription as it hasn’t finished clinical trials and has not been approved yet. Available weight loss injections are prescription-only medicines, so it’s possible that Retatrutide will be the same when launched.
Yes - Retatrutide is currently being tested as a weekly injection. The official dosage is unknown, though in clinical trials patients would start from between 1mg-4mg of Retatrutide and escalate every 4 weeks up to 12mg.
As Retatrutide is still in clinical testing, it is impossible to determine a full safety profile for it. As phase 3 trials are currently taking place, there should be a better understanding of safety and suitability once those have finished in May. At the moment, it is still too early to confirm how safe Retatrutide is, long-term or otherwise.
It is not yet known if Retatrutide will be available on the NHS as it has not finished clinical trials or NICE / MHRA assessment. Existing weight loss treatments are available on the NHS for patients with weight related-health problems and a BMI over a certain threshold, so if Retatrutide is approved it’s likely to follow the same regulations.
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