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Retatrutide in South Africa: price, trials and approval status

October 30, 2026  ·  9 min read  ·  How we write

The short version: Retatrutide is Eli Lilly’s experimental weekly injection, also known by its development code LY3437943. It’s a single peptide that switches on three receptors: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. In Lilly’s biggest published trial, adults with obesity lost 25.0% of their body weight on average over 80 weeks on the top dose, against 3.9% on placebo. As of 30 October 2026 it isn’t approved anywhere we could find, SAHPRA hasn’t registered it, and Lilly plans to apply to the US FDA in early 2027. We sell retatrutide from Cape Town for laboratory research only.

See retatrutide vials and prices →

What retatrutide is

A 2023 Lancet paper calls it a single peptide with agonist activity at three receptors. An agonist is a molecule shaped to fit a receptor and switch it on. GIP and GLP-1 are hormones released from the gut. The third target is the glucagon receptor.

Semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, works on one: GLP-1. Tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound for weight, works on two: GLP-1 and GIP. Retatrutide adds glucagon, so it works on three. Our Single, Double, Triple explainer walks through the receptors in plain English.

What the phase 2 trials found

The first big numbers came out on 26 June 2023, in two papers.

The obesity trial, by Jastreboff and colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine, gave 338 adults weekly retatrutide or placebo for 48 weeks. On the 12 mg dose, body weight fell 24.2% on average, against 2.1% on placebo.

The type 2 diabetes trial in The Lancet had 281 adults. After 24 weeks, HbA1c, the long-term blood sugar marker, fell 2.02 percentage points on 12 mg. It fell 0.01 on placebo and 1.41 on dulaglutide 1.5 mg, the comparison drug. At 36 weeks, weight was down 16.94% on 12 mg against 3.00% on placebo.

Phase 3: the TRIUMPH and TRANSCEND results so far

Lilly’s TRIUMPH trials are about weight, and its TRANSCEND trials about type 2 diabetes. By 30 October 2026, three of these trials had full papers out and three had only Lilly’s topline numbers.

The headline trial is TRIUMPH-1, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 29 September 2026. It randomised 2,339 adults with obesity and no diabetes. After 80 weeks, weight was down 25.0% on 12 mg, 23.7% on 9 mg and 17.6% on 4 mg, against 3.9% on placebo. Lilly’s May press release put the 12 mg figure at 28.3%. The paper’s main figure counts everyone who was randomised, whether they stayed on the drug or not, which is why it’s lower.

Trial Who was in it Length Top dose (12 mg) Placebo or comparator
Phase 2 obesity (NEJM, 2023) 338 adults with obesity or overweight 48 weeks Weight down 24.2% Placebo: down 2.1%
Phase 2 diabetes (Lancet, 2023) 281 adults with type 2 diabetes 24 and 36 weeks HbA1c down 2.02 points; weight down 16.94% Placebo: HbA1c down 0.01, weight down 3.00%
TRIUMPH-4 (Lilly topline, Dec 2025) 445 adults with obesity or overweight and knee osteoarthritis 68 weeks Weight down 28.7% Placebo: down 2.1%
TRANSCEND-T2D-1 (Lancet, June 2026) 537 adults with type 2 diabetes on diet and exercise 40 weeks HbA1c down 1.94 points; weight down 15.3% Placebo: HbA1c down 0.81, weight down 2.6%
TRIUMPH-3 (Lilly topline, July 2026) 1,949 adults with a BMI of 35 or more and cardiovascular disease 80 weeks Weight down 22.6% Placebo: down 3.2%
TRIUMPH-1 (NEJM, Sept 2026) 2,339 adults with obesity, no diabetes 80 weeks Weight down 25.0% Placebo: down 3.9%
TRIUMPH-2 (Lancet, Sept 2026) 1,152 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes 80 weeks Weight down 18.8% Placebo: down 5.1%
TRANSCEND-T2D-2 (Lilly topline, Oct 2026) 1,298 adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin 80 weeks HbA1c down 2.2 points; weight down 20.9% Ozempic 2 mg: HbA1c down 1.8, weight down 9.4%

Trials differ in length and people, so don’t rank them against each other. An NEJM paper on 21 October 2026 added the sleep apnoea groups inside TRIUMPH-1 and TRIUMPH-2: breathing interruptions during sleep fell more on retatrutide than on placebo in both.

The newest result came this week. On 28 October 2026 Lilly reported topline numbers from TRANSCEND-T2D-2, its first head-to-head phase 3 result, against Ozempic 2 mg. It was open-label, so people knew which drug they had. Lilly’s figures assume everyone stayed on treatment, and the full paper isn’t out yet.

Side effects reported in the trials

In every retatrutide trial so far, the most common side effects were in the gut. In the phase 2 obesity trial, they rose with dose and were mostly mild to moderate. Heart rate went up with dose too, peaked at week 24 and then came down.

The TRIUMPH-2 paper gives clean numbers for the 12 mg group against placebo:

  • Diarrhoea: 34% against 13%.
  • Nausea: 28% against 8%.
  • Dysesthesia, an abnormal or unpleasant feeling on the skin: 7% against 1%.
  • Low blood pressure: 6% against under 1%.

Dropout rates show how hard a drug is to stay on. In TRIUMPH-2, 8% on 12 mg and 12% on 9 mg stopped treatment because of side effects or death, against 5% on placebo. For TRIUMPH-1, Lilly reported nausea in 42.4% on 12 mg against 14.8% on placebo, and 11.3% stopping for side effects against 4.9%. TRIUMPH-4 was rougher: Lilly reported 18.2% stopping on 12 mg, against 4.0% on placebo. Our piece on feeling worse on tirzepatide or retatrutide covers the fine print.

How to read a COA before you order →

Where approval stands on 30 October 2026

Retatrutide isn’t approved anywhere that we could find. In its second-quarter results on 5 August 2026, Lilly said its clinical data package was complete and that it plans to submit an application to the US FDA in the first quarter of 2027. Its third-quarter results on 29 October 2026 listed no retatrutide filing or approval.

We found no application to the European Medicines Agency either, only a 2024 decision on a plan for studies in children, which is a separate process.

In South Africa, SAHPRA hasn’t registered retatrutide. A SAHPRA official told the Mail & Guardian in July 2026 that it is “still under clinical investigation”.

If you remember one thing: retatrutide has big published trial numbers and no approval anywhere yet, and Lilly’s FDA application is planned for early 2027.

Where the evidence stops

  • Lilly ran the trials. Every trial above was funded by Eli Lilly, and the published papers list Lilly staff as authors.
  • Three results are still press releases. TRIUMPH-3, TRIUMPH-4 and TRANSCEND-T2D-2 have no full paper yet.
  • The heart question is open. In TRIUMPH-3, Lilly reported 27 cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks or strokes on retatrutide and 23 on placebo, a gap that wasn’t statistically significant. The dedicated outcomes trial, of about 10,000 people, isn’t due to finish its main phase until 2029, by the registry’s estimate.
  • No result against tirzepatide. TRIUMPH-5 compares the two head to head. ClinicalTrials.gov lists it as active, not recruiting, with main results estimated for November 2026.

A note on framing

Every trial number above came from Lilly’s own medicine, given to trial volunteers under medical supervision. Research-grade material is not the trial drug, and those results don’t tell you what a research vial will do. We sell to researchers, and the papers beat any social media summary.

Retatrutide prices in South Africa

JP Research sells retatrutide for laboratory research use only. Prices at the time of writing:

The 10mg, 20mg and 30mg vials have a batch COA from Janoshik, a third-party lab, on their product pages. The 15mg vial and the pens don’t have a published report yet, and their pages show a request button instead. Our guide to reading a COA shows what to check on it. Stock moves, so check the page.

Retatrutide in South Africa: questions we get

Is retatrutide available in South Africa?

Not as a registered medicine. SAHPRA hasn’t registered it, and we found no approval anywhere else either. Research-grade retatrutide, like ours, is sold for laboratory use only.

Is retatrutide FDA approved?

No. As of 30 October 2026 Lilly hasn’t filed. It plans to submit its application to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027.

What does retatrutide cost in South Africa?

Our vials run from R849 for 10mg to R1,699 for 30mg at the time of writing, and the pre-filled pen is R1,949. Prices can change, so the product page has the final word.

How long does delivery take?

We dispatch within 24 to 36 hours of confirmed payment. The courier then takes 1 to 3 working days. Orders ship from Cape Town, and courier is free anywhere in South Africa.

How does it ship, and how is it stored?

The vials arrive as a freeze-dried powder. Once bacteriostatic water goes in, the vial belongs in the fridge. Pens are kept cold from the moment they reach us until dispatch. Our reconstitution and storage guide has the detail.

How does retatrutide compare with tirzepatide?

Tirzepatide works on two receptors, GLP-1 and GIP. Retatrutide adds glucagon as a third. Nobody has published a head-to-head result yet, and TRIUMPH-5 is testing exactly that. Our semaglutide vs tirzepatide vs retatrutide comparison lines up the separate trials and their sources.

View Retatrutide 30mg, best value per mg →

Sources

All JP Research products are supplied strictly for in-vitro research and laboratory use only. They are not intended for human or animal consumption, medical treatment, or diagnostic use. Nothing in this article constitutes medical advice.

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