Home/Metabolic/Retatrutide vs Tirzepatide

Retatrutide vs Tirzepatide

Triple agonist · GLP-1 / GIP / Glucagon against dual agonist · GIP / GLP-1. Every row below is read from the two product records and the papers verified for each; nothing here is an opinion about which is better.

At a glance

RetatrutideTirzepatide
What it isTriple agonist · GLP-1 / GIP / GlucagonDual agonist · GIP / GLP-1
GroupMetabolicMetabolic
Molecular formulaC221H342N46O68C225H348N48O68
Molecular weight4731.3 g/mol4813.45 g/mol
CAS2381089-83-22023788-19-2
Cited literature3 human studies cited3 human studies cited
Studies cited3 human · 0 animal · 0 cell · 0 review3 human · 0 animal · 0 cell · 0 review
CertificateThird-party report for lot RT20260602, 99.507% purity, verification key on the product pageThird-party report for lot CS-ze10-0408, 99.764% purity, verification key MQIPS86NBTAX
Sizes and price10mg $110 · 20mg $200 (out of stock)10mg $80 · 20mg $160 (out of stock)
AvailabilityIn stockIn stock
StorageLyophilised, −20°C, darkLyophilised, −20°C, dark

Retatrutide

A single-molecule triple receptor agonist acting on GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors. The most requested compound in current metabolic research.

Retatrutide is a synthetic peptide with the molecular formula C221H342N46O68 and a molecular weight of 4731.3 g/mol, CAS registry number 2381089-83-2. The vial is sealed and lot-numbered, holds lyophilised powder, and is kept at −20°C protected from light until it ships.

Retatrutide carries the Eli Lilly development code LY3437943. It is a 39-amino-acid synthetic peptide and, at the time of writing, remains an investigational compound in late-stage clinical trials. It is not an approved medicine in any country, and the research vial is not the trial material.

The 3 papers cited below are 3 studies in humans. The human data belong to the pharmaceutical forms of the compound, not to any research-grade vial.

Cited on the Retatrutide page

  1. Jastreboff AM et al. (2023). Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity - A Phase 2 Trial. N Engl J Med. PubMed 37366315 · SummaryPhase 2, 338 adults with obesity: mean weight change of −24.2% at 48 weeks on 12 mg weekly, against −2.1% on placebo.
  2. Rosenstock J et al. (2023). Retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, for people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2 trial conducted in the USA. Lancet. PubMed 37385280 · SummaryPhase 2 in type 2 diabetes, 36 weeks: HbA1c fell by up to about two percentage points and body weight by up to about 17% at the highest dose.
  3. Coskun T et al. (2022). LY3437943, a novel triple glucagon, GIP, and GLP-1 receptor agonist for glycemic control and weight loss: From discovery to clinical proof of concept. Cell Metab. PubMed 35985340 · SummaryThe discovery paper: how the three receptor activities were balanced in one molecule, with first-in-human data supporting once-weekly dosing.

Tirzepatide

A dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist. The compound that established dual agonism as more effective than GLP-1 alone in metabolic research models.

Tirzepatide is a synthetic peptide with the molecular formula C225H348N48O68 and a molecular weight of 4813.45 g/mol, CAS registry number 2023788-19-2. The vial is sealed and lot-numbered, holds lyophilised powder, and is kept at −20°C protected from light until it ships.

Tirzepatide carries the Eli Lilly development code LY3298176. The approved pharmaceutical forms are marketed as Mounjaro and Zepbound in the United States. A research-grade vial is a different product from the approved drug: it is not manufactured, tested or labelled to pharmaceutical standards and is not a substitute for it.

The 3 papers cited below are 3 studies in humans. The human data belong to the pharmaceutical forms of the compound, not to any research-grade vial.

Cited on the Tirzepatide page

  1. Garvey WT et al. (2023). Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity in people with type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-2): a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. PubMed 37385275 · SummarySURMOUNT-2, adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, 72 weeks: −12.8% (10 mg) and −14.7% (15 mg) body weight against −3.2% on placebo.
  2. Frías JP et al. (2021). Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. PubMed 34170647 · SummarySURPASS-2, 40 weeks head-to-head with semaglutide 1 mg: larger HbA1c and weight reductions at all three tirzepatide doses.
  3. Coskun T et al. (2018). LY3298176, a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: From discovery to clinical proof of concept. Mol Metab. PubMed 30473097 · SummaryThe discovery paper: a GIP-biased dual agonist with a fatty diacid for weekly dosing, and its first clinical proof of concept.

Handling the two side by side

Retatrutide

  • A long acylated peptide. Repeated warming and cooling of a solution can cause aggregation, seen as cloudiness; aliquot rather than re-cool the same vial.
  • Lyophilised powder is stable for years at −20°C in the dark and tolerates days at ambient temperature in transit.

Tirzepatide

  • A long acylated peptide. Repeated warming and cooling of a solution can cause aggregation, seen as cloudiness; aliquot rather than re-cool the same vial.
  • Lyophilised powder is stable for years at −20°C in the dark and tolerates days at ambient temperature in transit.

Where to go next

Research use only This page compares two laboratory materials by their published record and their chemistry. It is not a recommendation of either, nothing here is dosing guidance, and nothing sold by Zyrna Research is for human or veterinary use.