Retatrutide for managing overweight or obesity

Retatrutide is in clinical development for the treatment of patients with overweight or obesity. Overweight and obesity are typically defined by a body mass index (BMI) over 25 and 30, respectively. While this is commonly caused by excessive calorie intake, overweight and obesity are complex conditions with many other potential multifactorial causes. In the UK, about 1 in 4 adults are living with obesity, leading to serious health conditions and a life expectancy reduced by three to ten years. For many people, lifestyle and behavioural changes alone may not help. Existing medicines for weight loss use either a singular or dual approach. They either work by reducing the breakdown of fats or by activating hormones called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which promote weight loss.