September 30, 2026

Retatrutide TRIUMPH-2 in The Lancet, EloraTZP Beats Tirzepatide Alone, Saudi Crackdown on Online Peptide Sales

Full retatrutide TRIUMPH-2 data land at EASD, Lilly's EloraTZP tops tirzepatide alone in Phase 2b, and Saudi Arabia moves against online peptide sellers.

6 stories · Covering clinical-trials, research, industry, regulatory

Editor's Note

EASD's busiest day belonged to Lilly. Full TRIUMPH-2 results, published in The Lancet, showed weekly retatrutide cutting weight by up to 20.8% at 80 weeks in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and EloraTZP, which adds the amylin agonist eloralintide to tirzepatide, reached 23.3% at 48 weeks against 14.8% for tirzepatide alone. Both came with a tolerability cost, from retatrutide's dysesthesia signal to discontinuation rates as high as 27% on the combination. Novo's headline was more modest: a 194-person real-world study found that people who switched from injections to the Wegovy pill kept losing weight over three months, though it counted only people who stayed on the pill. Away from the meeting, SK pharmteco's U.S. expansion added more peptide manufacturing capacity, and Saudi regulators went after peptides sold online with weight-loss and anti-aging claims.

Clinical Trials

Retatrutide's Phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 Trial, Published in The Lancet, Shows Up to 20.8% Weight Loss at 80 Weeks in Adults With Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Lilly presented full results of TRIUMPH-2 at EASD on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, alongside publication in The Lancet: 1,152 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes were randomized to weekly retatrutide 4, 9, or 12 mg or placebo for 80 weeks. Under the efficacy estimand, weight fell 12.7%, 19.1%, and 20.8% versus 4.0% with placebo, A1C fell 1.4, 1.6, and 1.5 points versus 0.2, 59.5% of people on 12 mg no longer met BMI criteria for obesity, and up to 40.0% reached an A1C below 5.7%. Discontinuation for adverse events was 3.8%, 11.6%, and 7.7% versus 4.9% on placebo, and dysesthesia, abnormal skin sensations, occurred in 4.5% to 7.3% of retatrutide patients versus 0.7%. Lilly plans to submit retatrutide to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027.

#retatrutide #eli-lilly #type-2-diabetes #easd-2026

Clinical Trials

Lilly's EloraTZP Combination Produces 23.3% Weight Loss vs 14.8% for Tirzepatide Alone in Phase 2b Type 2 Diabetes Trial

Lilly announced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 Phase 2b results for EloraTZP, the amylin receptor agonist eloralintide given with tirzepatide as separate injections, in 367 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes across 10 arms. At 48 weeks, under the efficacy estimand, eloralintide 9 mg plus tirzepatide 15 mg produced 23.3% weight loss versus 14.8% with tirzepatide 15 mg alone and 3.0% with placebo, and A1C fell 2.9 points versus 2.4 and 0.3 from a baseline near 8.1%. Discontinuation for adverse events was 10.8% to 27.0% with the combinations, 2.9% with tirzepatide alone, and 16.7% with placebo, and gastrointestinal events were more frequent on the combinations. Lilly plans to start Phase 3 trials of a co-formulated EloraTZP product by the end of 2026 with an adjusted dose-escalation schedule.

#eloralintide #tirzepatide #amylin #eli-lilly #easd-2026

Research

Novo's OCTANE Study: 194 People Who Switched From GLP-1 Injections to the Wegovy Pill Lost Another 4.1% of Body Weight in Three Months

Novo presented at EASD on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 OCTANE, a retrospective analysis of de-identified data from the telehealth company Ro covering 194 adults who switched from injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide to the once-daily Wegovy pill between January 5 and February 7, 2026. From a mean baseline weight of 100.5 kg and BMI of 34.5, participants lost an average of 4.1% of body weight (4.0 kg) over three months, 40.7% lost at least 5%, and the share with a BMI of 30 or higher fell from 87.1% to 65.5%. Novo listed limitations including self-reported and incomplete data and selection bias from counting only people who stayed on treatment; the release did not give the injectable doses people switched from.

#wegovy-pill #oral-semaglutide #novo-nordisk #real-world-evidence #easd-2026

Clinical Trials

Sciwind's Ecnoglutide Cuts BMI 11.2% to 12.6% in 20-Week Phase 1b Trial in Chinese Adolescents With Obesity

Sciwind Biosciences reported at EASD on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 a Phase 1b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ecnoglutide, its cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in China for adults, in 48 adolescents aged 12 to 17 with obesity whose BMI had fallen less than 5% after at least 12 weeks of diet and exercise. After 20 weeks on 1.2, 1.8, or 2.4 mg, BMI fell 11.2% to 12.6% and body weight 10.4% to 12.1%, versus 0.0% and a 1.2% gain on placebo. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events, most side effects were mild, transient gastrointestinal reactions, and drug exposure resembled that in adults; Sciwind said a Phase 3 adolescent trial has begun.

#ecnoglutide #pediatric-obesity #easd-2026

Industry

SK pharmteco Commits More Than $200 Million Over Five Years to Expand U.S. Peptide and Small-Molecule Manufacturing

Contract manufacturer SK pharmteco announced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 a five-year investment of more than $200 million in its U.S. development and manufacturing operations, centered on its Rancho Cordova, California site. The plan adds GMP kilo-scale peptide manufacturing with advanced liquid chromatography, expected to be operating in late 2026, along with new small-molecule API suites and about 100 long-term U.S. jobs. CEO Joerg Ahlgrimm said the expansion responds to 'unprecedented demand from our broad customer base.'

#sk-pharmteco #peptide-manufacturing #cdmo

Regulatory

Saudi Food and Drug Authority Moves Against Online Stores Selling Unregistered Peptides, With Penalties Up to SR5 Million and Five Years in Prison

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority said, as reported on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, that it had found unregistered peptide products of unknown origin being marketed on websites and social media without required licenses, some with claims that they could rapidly cause weight loss, build muscle, or slow aging. The agency said it has started legal action against the store owners and is preparing cases for referral to the Public Prosecution; violations carry fines of up to SR5 million (about $1.4 million), up to five years in prison, or both. The SFDA did not name specific products and urged consumers to buy peptides only from reliable sources after consulting a physician.

#saudi-arabia #gray-market #enforcement