Weight-loss drug shows breakthrough results

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]This is a possible game-changer in the fight against obesity. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is reporting that some patients lose more than a quarter of their body weight in clinical trials with a new experimental drug. Now, the drug builds on the success of GLP-1 based medications like Ozempic, but targets additional hormones linked to appetite and metabolism. ABC News' Yuri Ben Saud has more.

[00:00:24]The next generation of weight loss drugs have already shown some promising results and could be here as soon as next year. Eli Lilly this week announcing that retatrutide, an experimental drug, lowered weight loss of 30% in adults that were taking this medication. This GLP-1 injectable was comparable to bariatric surgery, which for years has been a popular method for people to shed pounds. In fact, some of the clinical participants in this trial actually dropped out because they lost too much weight. And among those that were also dropping out were those that were experiencing side effects. These are things like nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

[00:00:57]These are common with GLP-1 medications, but due to this higher uh strength of the medication, it's possible that this drug also comes with some higher side effects. Now, doctors are already concerned that some Americans are turning to knock-off versions in China, and because these are not FDA-approved, they haven't gone any undergone any clinical trials. And that means they're unregulated. This could increase the risk of potentially the drugs being tainted, and that could lead to infection or even overdose. Now, these GLP-1 medications have shown not only to to benefit weight loss, but also other health benefits. We're talking about things like heart disease and kidney disease, as well as sleep apnea. If this drug does gain approval, it would be in the coming years and would be especially helpful to the heaviest patients that don't want to get surgery.