Survodutide and retatrutide are both investigational next-generation obesity drugs that go beyond the GLP-1/GIP playbook by adding glucagon receptor activity. The difference is how many receptors each hits: survodutide is a glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonist; retatrutide is a GIP/GLP-1/glucagon triple agonist. Neither is approved.
At a glance
| Survodutide | Retatrutide | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Glucagon + GLP-1 dual agonist | GIP + GLP-1 + glucagon triple agonist |
| FDA status | Investigational | Investigational |
| Receptors | Two (glucagon, GLP-1) | Three (GIP, GLP-1, glucagon) |
| Also studied for | Obesity and liver disease (MASH) | Obesity and metabolic disease |
| Dosing | Once weekly (in trials) | Once weekly (in trials) |
| Reported weight loss | Large in phase 2 | Largest reported in class (phase 2) |
The bottom line
Bottom line: Both are promising, unapproved drugs that recruit glucagon signaling (which may raise energy expenditure) on top of GLP-1. Retatrutide adds a third receptor (GIP) and has posted the largest weight-loss numbers in the class so far, while survodutide has notable data in liver disease. Both remain investigational — exciting, but not available.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between survodutide and retatrutide?
Survodutide is a dual glucagon/GLP-1 agonist, while retatrutide is a triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon agonist. Retatrutide engages one additional receptor and has reported the largest weight-loss numbers in the class.
Are either approved?
No. Both survodutide and retatrutide are investigational drugs in clinical development and are not FDA-approved or available by prescription.
Why add glucagon activity?
Glucagon receptor agonism may increase energy expenditure in addition to the appetite suppression from GLP-1, which is the rationale behind these dual and triple agonists.
References
Combined peer-reviewed sources from both peptide guides. Inclusion is not endorsement.
- Sanyal AJ, Bedossa P, Fraessdorf M, et al. A Phase 2 Randomized Trial of Survodutide in MASH and Fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- Bluher M, Rosenstock J, Hoefler J, et al. Dose-response effects of survodutide, a dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist, in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised clinical trial. Diabetologia. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- le Roux CW, Steen O, Lucas KJ, et al. Glucagon and GLP-1 receptor dual agonist survodutide for obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- Kosiborod MN, Platz E, Wharton S, et al. Survodutide for the Treatment of Obesity: Rationale and Design of the SYNCHRONIZE Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial. JACC Heart Fail. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- Kaya E, Yilmaz Y, Alkhouri N. Survodutide in MASH: bridging the gap between hepatic and systemic metabolic dysfunction. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- Lawitz EJ, Fraessdorf M, Neff GW, et al. Efficacy, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of survodutide, a glucagon/glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor dual agonist, in cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- Jastreboff AM, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, et al. Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity - A Phase 2 Trial. N Engl J Med. 2023. Peer-reviewed study
- Rosenstock J, Frias J, Jastreboff AM, et al. Retatrutide, a GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist, in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2023. Peer-reviewed study
- Katsi V, Koutsopoulos G, Fragoulis C, et al. Retatrutide-A Game Changer in Obesity Pharmacotherapy. Biomolecules. 2025. Peer-reviewed study
- Abdul-Rahman T, Roy P, Ahmed FK, et al. The power of three: Retatrutide's role in modern obesity and diabetes therapy. Eur J Pharmacol. 2024. Peer-reviewed study
- Giblin K, Kaplan LM, Somers VK, et al. Retatrutide for the treatment of obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and knee osteoarthritis: Rationale and design of the TRIUMPH registrational clinical trials. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026. Peer-reviewed study
- Sanyal AJ, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, et al. Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial. Nat Med. 2024. Peer-reviewed study