Research
Hormonal
Dual and triple receptor agonists (e.g., tirzepatide, retatrutide, survodutide) demonstrate second-generation efficacy (≥15% weight loss) in clinical trials, offering expanded treatment options for obesity.
Newer medications like tirzepatide target multiple hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) to help you lose more weight than older drugs. Clinical trials show many people lose 15% or more of their body weight. These are taken once a week and are often used alongside lifestyle changes.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Multiple companies have initiated development programs for other long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists... Agonists for four additional NRHs are also being developed... There is also an intense effort underway to develop dual agonists that combine the action of a GLP-1 receptor agonist with a receptor agonist for GIP, glucagon, amylin, or PYY
Why this rating
Based on phase 1-3 trials, some still ongoing or with smaller sample sizes than approved drugs.
Source
Future Medications for Obesity and Clinical Implications
W. Timothy Garvey · Diabetes Spectrum · 2024
DOI 10.2337/dsi24-0004
narrative_reviewCited 3×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Second-generation obesity medications (semaglutide 2.4 mg and tirzepatide) achieve clinically significant weight loss (≥15% body weight) and treat or prevent obesity-related complications, establishing a complications-centric approach to care.Strong
- Preservation of skeletal muscle mass is a critical consideration in obesity treatment with second-generation medications, and new drugs (e.g., bimagrumab) are being developed to block muscle loss.Good
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