GLP-1 Newspaper: Daily Ozempic, Zepbound & Weight-Loss Drug News

Eli Lilly says its investigational once-weekly drug retatrutide beat Novo Nordisk's Ozempic 2 mg in TRANSCEND-T2D-2, the first Phase 3 trial comparing retatrutide head-to-head with another incretin medicine. We walk through the topline results Lilly announced on October 28, 2026 for 1,298 adults with type 2 diabetes not controlled on metformin, with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor: at 80 weeks, A1C fell by an average of 2.2 percentage points on both retatrutide doses (9 mg and 12 mg) versus 1.8 on Ozempic 2 mg, and body weight fell 19.5% and 20.9% versus 9.4%. We explain why only the 12 mg A1C superiority result was statistically controlled while the 9 mg A1C difference was "nominal," that the figures use the efficacy estimand, and that full results have not yet been peer reviewed. We also note what Lilly said about certain cardiovascular risk factors (non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure) and one Leerink analyst's 2032 sales estimate, and we cover the trade-off: more gastrointestinal side effects and higher discontinuation rates due to adverse events on retatrutide (4.8% and 7.9% versus 2.7% on Ozempic). Retatrutide is not approved anywhere, and Lilly says anyone selling it to consumers is breaking the law.

Sources:
- Eli Lilly news release, "Lilly's retatrutide delivered greater A1C reduction and more than double the weight loss of Ozempic's highest approved dose in head-to-head trial" (Oct 28, 2026): https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-retatrutide-delivered-greater-a1c-reduction-and-more
- ClinicalTrials.gov, TRANSCEND-T2D-2 (NCT06260722): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06260722
- BioPharma Dive, "Lilly's 'triple-G' drug tops Novo's Ozempic in diabetes trial" (Oct 28, 2026): https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/retatrutide-ozempic-diabetes-trial-results-lilly-novo/873016/
- Reuters via Yahoo News, "Lilly's next-gen drug outshines Ozempic on weight loss, blood sugar control in trial" (Oct 28, 2026): https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/lillys-next-gen-drug-outshines-104705473.html

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Eli Lilly has registered two phase 3 trials of EloraTZP, an investigational once-weekly combination of the amylin agonist eloralintide and tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro), on ClinicalTrials.gov. We walk through how the trials are set up: AMPLIFY-1 plans to enroll about 2,115 adults with obesity and without diabetes and compares several EloraTZP doses with tirzepatide alone, eloralintide alone and placebo; AMPLIFY-2 plans to enroll about 1,000 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes and compares EloraTZP with tirzepatide alone. Both trials measure percent change in body weight at week 100, were first posted on October 19, 2026, are not yet recruiting, and are estimated to finish in late 2029. We also recap the September 2026 phase 2b results that Lilly says led to the move (367 adults with type 2 diabetes over 48 weeks), including weight loss, A1C changes and treatment discontinuations due to side effects, and why those figures come with caveats. EloraTZP and eloralintide are investigational drugs that are not approved.

Sources:
- ClinicalTrials.gov, AMPLIFY-1 (NCT07881432), "A Study of EloraTZP in Adult Participants With Obesity Without Type 2 Diabetes" (first posted Oct 19, 2026): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07881432
- ClinicalTrials.gov, AMPLIFY-2 (NCT07881458), "A Study of EloraTZP in Adult Participants With Obesity or Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes" (first posted Oct 19, 2026): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07881458
- Eli Lilly news release, EloraTZP phase 2b results (Sept 30, 2026): https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-eloratzp-combination-eloralintide-and-tirzepatide
- Reuters via KSL.com, "Experimental Lilly combination drug tops Zepbound in weight-loss trial" (Sept 30, 2026): https://www.ksl.com/article/51630539/experimental-lilly-combination-drug-tops-zepbound-in--weight-loss-trial
- CHOSUNBIZ, "Lilly advances amylin-based obesity combo to phase 3, tests tolerability amid Korea race" (Oct 26, 2026): https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2026/10/26/VTWAF3F4D5DYTCZDOHBMIUET3A/

Cover: original abstract illustration made for this episode (two merging droplets); no photo used.

This show is for information only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

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Two phase 3 trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Eli Lilly's investigational drug retatrutide, a once-weekly injection that acts on GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, reduced the severity of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea more than placebo over 80 weeks in adults with obesity or overweight. We go through the numbers from TRIUMPH-1-OSA (243 participants without type 2 diabetes) and TRIUMPH-2-OSA (448 participants with type 2 diabetes): changes in the apnea-hypopnea index and body weight compared with placebo, how many participants reached no or mild sleep apnea under the study's definition, and the side effects and treatment discontinuations reported for the two sleep apnea trials. Retatrutide is not approved and is legally available only to participants in Lilly's clinical trials, and the trials were funded by Lilly. Zepbound, by contrast, is FDA-approved for moderate-to-severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity (December 2024); the episode does not compare the two drugs.

Sources:
- New England Journal of Medicine, "Retatrutide Once Weekly for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea" (Grunstein et al., published Oct 20, 2026): https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2611477
- Lilly Medical, "What is the impact of retatrutide in patients with obesity or overweight and obstructive sleep apnea?" (TRIUMPH-1-OSA and TRIUMPH-2-OSA data tables): https://medical.lilly.com/us/products/answers/what-is-the-impact-of-retatrutide-in-patients-with-obesity-or-overweight-and-obstructive-sleep-apnea-447579
- Eli Lilly news release, retatrutide TRIUMPH-1 results (June 6, 2026), for retatrutide's investigational status: https://lilly.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-drove-substantial-improvements
- Medical Xpress, "Triple-action weekly weight-loss drug reduces sleep apnea in two late-stage trials" (Oct 24, 2026): https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-triple-action-weekly-weight-loss.html
- FDA, "FDA Approves First Medication for Obstructive Sleep Apnea" (Dec 20, 2024): https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-medication-obstructive-sleep-apnea

Cover photo: "CPAP mask 01" by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CPAP_mask_01.jpg); cropped and brightened.

This show is for information only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released new guidance on October 23, 2026, on GLP-1 medications before, during and after pregnancy. The Practice Advisory tells ob-gyns to advise patients that there is not enough safety data on GLP-1 use in pregnancy, to consider stopping these medications one to two months before conception, and to advise against their use during pregnancy. For breastfeeding, ACOG says clinicians may use shared decision-making on a postpartum plan that could include GLP-1s, with close monitoring of the baby's weight gain, but recommends against use for those nursing preterm infants or newborns. We look at what the human and animal data do and do not show, why weight loss on these drugs may make pregnancy more likely, and a JAMA study linking GLP-1 discontinuation before or early in pregnancy with more gestational weight gain, part of the trade-off between stopping these drugs and the risk of weight regain.

Sources:
- ACOG news release, "ACOG Releases New Guidance on the Use of GLP-1s in Pregnancy and Lactation" (Oct 23, 2026): https://www.acog.org/news/2026/10/acog-releases-new-guidance-on-use-of-glp-1s-in-pregnancy-lactation/
- ACOG Practice Advisory, "Use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Pregnancy and Lactation" (October 2026): https://www.acog.org/clinical/guidance/practice-advisory/2026/10/use-of-glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-in-pregnancy-and-lactation/
- JAMA, "Gestational Weight Gain and Pregnancy Outcomes After GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Discontinuation" (Maya et al., 2025): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2841781

Cover photo: "Silicone Baby Bottles" by TheUnaverageJoe, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silicone_Baby_Bottles.jpg); cropped, embossed markings softened.

This show is for information only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

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Unapproved GLP-1 drugs are under pressure from several directions. Compounding pharmacy Apothecary Pharma voluntarily recalled 22 lots of compounded tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, citing "lack of assurance of sterility," and FDA classified the recall as Class II. A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Jim Banks wrote to the acting FDA commissioner on October 14, 2026, urging a crackdown on vendors using "for research use only" labels to sell retatrutide, Eli Lilly's investigational drug that is not FDA-approved, and citing a 265% rise in poisonings tied to illicit retatrutide reported by America's Poison Centers. CBS News reported that FDA received two adverse-event reports of deaths linked to products sold as retatrutide; the reports are unverified and do not prove the products caused the deaths. We also walk through FDA's own warnings: compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, retatrutide cannot be used in compounding, and FDA has flagged quality problems at overseas ingredient suppliers. We explain how compounded, counterfeit and "research use only" products differ from FDA-approved medicines, and what regulators, lawmakers and drugmakers are doing about them.

Sources:
- FDA, "FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss" (updated Oct 1, 2026): https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss
- Sen. Jim Banks press release and senators' letter to FDA (Oct 15, 2026): https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/banks-urges-fda-to-crack-down-on-illicit-research-use-only-drugs/
- CBS News, reported deaths and bootleg retatrutide: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deaths-reported-fda-bootleg-reta-weight-loss-drug/
- BioPharma Dive, Apothecary Pharma compounded tirzepatide recall (Oct 22, 2026): https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/glp1-obesity-drug-recall-apothecary-tirzepatide-zepbound/833712/
- USA TODAY, compounded GLP-1 recall and FDA actions (Oct 20, 2026): https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/healthcare/2026/10/20/fda-targets-copycat-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs/92343423007/

Cover photo: laboratory at the FDA White Oak campus, Building 64 (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped).

This show is for information only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

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Europe's drug regulator has recommended approval of Eli Lilly's once-daily GLP-1 pill Foundayo (orforglipron) for adults, covering both weight management and type 2 diabetes. The European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee (CHMP) adopted its positive opinion on October 15, 2026. In two weight-management studies of 4,740 adults, people taking Foundayo lost around 5% to 11% of their body weight at 72 weeks, depending on dose, compared with about 2% to 2.5% on placebo. In four type 2 diabetes studies of 3,765 adults, HbA1c fell by around 1.2 to 1.9 percentage points. The most common side effects were nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Unlike Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill, which won EU approval in July for weight management only, Foundayo can be taken at any time of day with or without food. We cover what the committee looked at, what a CHMP opinion does and doesn't mean, how this fits the oral GLP-1 race between Lilly and Novo, and why the European Commission's final decision and country-by-country pricing and reimbursement still come next. Foundayo has been FDA-approved for weight management in the U.S. since April 2026.

Sources:
- European Medicines Agency news release (Oct 16, 2026): https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/new-oral-glp-1-medicine-weight-management-type-2-diabetes
- EMA CHMP summary of positive opinion for Foundayo: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/smop-initial/chmp-summary-positive-opinion-foundayo_en.pdf
- Fierce Pharma: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/lillys-obesity-pill-revmeds-pancreatic-cancer-breakthrough-among-slew-chmp-endorsements
- CNBC (Reuters): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/16/eli-lillys-weight-loss-pill-wins-eu-drug-regulators-backing.html
- Pharmaceutical Executive: https://www.pharmexec.com/view/ema-panel-backs-lilly-foundayo-obesity-type-2-diabetes-europe

Cover photo: European Medicines Agency headquarters, Amsterdam (photo © European Medicines Agency, cropped).

This show is for information only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

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Novo Nordisk says women in its phase 3 REDEFINE 1 trial lost 25.0% of their body weight on average after 68 weeks on its investigational weekly injection CagriSema (cagrilintide plus semaglutide), compared with 3.0% on placebo, in a post hoc analysis presented at The Menopause Society 2026 Annual Meeting in San Diego. A second analysis grouped 1,902 women by menopausal stage: average weight loss was 26.7% in premenopausal, 24.8% in perimenopausal and 23.1% in postmenopausal women, versus about 2% on placebo. Both figures use the efficacy estimand, which assumes everyone stayed on treatment, and menopause status was assigned after the fact. Novo calls the findings hypothesis-generating. We cover what the numbers do and don't show, how the full trial population compared (22.7%), how the results line up with earlier tirzepatide analyses in women, the trial's side-effect and discontinuation rates, and where CagriSema stands: not approved, with an FDA decision expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Sources:
- Novo Nordisk press release (Oct 20, 2026): https://www.novonordisk-us.com/media/press-releases/cagrisema-redefine1-weight-loss-women-menopause.html
- CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/20/novo-cagrisema-women-weight-loss-analysis.html
- BioSpace: https://www.biospace.com/drug-development/novos-cagrisema-achieves-25-weight-loss-in-women-driven-by-younger-patients
- Reuters, via ETPharma: https://pharma.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/research-and-development/novos-cagrisema-helped-women-lose-25-of-weight-on-average-analysis-shows/135085769

Cover: original editorial image made for this episode; the pen shown is generic, not a real product.

This show is for information only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

More at glp1newspaper.com