How 'Godzilla' weight loss drug Reta compares to Ozempic as side effects revealed

A new weight loss medication called Retatrutide is still being tested in clinical trials, but experts have already revealed the one key difference that sets it apart from Ozempic.

Retatrutide, also known as 'Reta' is an experimental once-weekly weight loss injection developed by Eli Lilly, the company who are known for manufacturing Mounjaro.

The brand new drug targets the GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors to suppress appetite, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost energy expenditure - working in a similar way to the weight-loss injections that have surged in popularity in recent years, particularly in the US.

In fact, an astonishing 11 percent of people in the US now report taking the medication for weight loss, according to a new study.

While Retatrutide and Ozempic are both weekly injections, there are a few things that make them totally different drugs.

Reta is the new drug on the block, but how does it compare to Ozempic? (Getty Stock Images)

Where Ozempic is was developed to help manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, Reta was made with the aim of helping users to shed pounds.

Even though both can show similar results, this comes from the medications targeting specific portions of the brain to suppress appetite, with Reta also slowing digestive emptying - which keeps food in the stomach for longer, making people feel fuller for longer.

But the main difference here is that drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy—which contain semaglutide as the active ingredients, Reta contains just Retatrutide, a synthetic peptide which targets three hormones (GLP-1, GIP, glucagon) compared to Ozempic's GLP-1 targeting.

People may also report losing more weight when using Retatrutide compared to other weight-loss injections, with trials showing users could see 24.2 percent of their bodyweight dropped in just 48 weeks compared to 20.7 percent in 72 weeks on Wegovy.

However, despite there being fast results, there are some side effects to be aware of.

Reta targets three hormones (Getty Stock Images)

Because it targets three hormones - which regulates blood sugar, reduces appetite, slows digestion, and helps to burn fat - expect gastrointestinal-related issues.

Both drugs can make people feel sick, be sick, and experience constipation and diarrhoea.

The Daily Mail reported a British man died after taking the drug, and a handful of people have also been treated in hospital in Australia for acute liver damage.

This comes from data from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, who stress that this does not prove the drug caused the adverse reactions, just that the person was taking it at the time.

The manufacturer’s website states that Reta is available to trial participants, and shouldn't be taken by anyone outside of it until it's approved.

While it’s not known just how many side effects there are, a study of self-reported side effects among Reddit users found that 57.6 percent of 13,589 people polled, at least one side effect impacted each person.

Mainly, things like appetite increase, fatigue, nausea, cravings, increased energy, insomnia, and elevated heart rate were reported by users.

UNILAD reached out to Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk for comment.

A representative of Eli Lilly told us: "Retatrutide is an investigational molecule and cannot legally be sold to the public. It has not been reviewed or approved by any regulatory agency in the world. No one should consider taking anything claiming to be retatrutide outside of a Lilly-sponsored clinical trial. The company continues to warn the public about the potential dangers of fake medicines."