If you’ve been following the GLP-1 world at all, you’ve probably heard the name retatrutide floating around. The headlines have been pretty breathless — “weight loss beyond anything we’ve seen,” “the next generation of obesity drugs” — and honestly, the early data is worth paying attention to. But there’s a big gap between exciting clinical trial results and a drug you can actually get at a Canadian pharmacy, and it’s worth understanding where things really stand.
So let’s break it down.
What Even Is Retatrutide?
You know how Ozempic works by mimicking one hormone that tells your brain you’re full? And how Mounjaro and Zepbound take it a step further by targeting two hormones at once?
Retatrutide goes one more. It targets three pathways — GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors.
That third one, glucagon, is the interesting part. Glucagon receptors are involved in how your body burns fat at rest and how your liver processes energy. Adding that third pathway is essentially what separates retatrutide from everything that’s currently on the market. Instead of just telling your body to eat less, it’s also nudging your metabolism to burn more.
Retatrutide is made by Eli Lilly — the same company behind Mounjaro and Zepbound. So they know this space well. It’s been in development for several years and is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials.
What Did the Clinical Trials Actually Show?
In 2023, Lilly published Phase 2 results for retatrutide in the New England Journal of Medicine — which is about as credible a journal as it gets. Here’s the headline number: people taking the highest dose (12 mg weekly) lost an average of 24.2% of their body weight over 48 weeks.
To put that in perspective: if you weigh 220 pounds, that’s roughly 53 pounds in under a year.
For comparison, semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) typically produces around 12–15% weight loss in trials. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) produces around 20–22%. Retatrutide’s early numbers land above both of those.
Now — and this matters — Phase 2 trials are early-stage research. They’re designed to figure out whether a drug works and to find the right dose. They’re not the final word. The participants in Phase 2 studies tend to be carefully selected, closely monitored, and highly motivated. Real-world use, across a much broader range of people, often produces more variable results.
That’s exactly why Phase 3 trials exist, and that’s what Lilly is running right now under the name TRIUMPH. Those larger trials will tell us a lot more — and they’re expected to report results sometime in 2025 or 2026.
Can You Actually Get Retatrutide in Canada Right Now?
Short answer: not really, and not easily.
Retatrutide hasn’t been approved anywhere in the world yet — not Canada, not the U.S., nowhere. It’s still in trials. So there’s no prescription you can fill at Shoppers Drug Mart right now.
That said, there are a couple of limited options for Canadians who are genuinely interested:
Clinical trials. Eli Lilly’s Phase 3 TRIUMPH trials are running at sites globally, and some Canadian locations may be enrolling participants. If you join a trial, you receive the medication free, under close medical supervision. The catch: you may be randomized to a placebo or a lower dose — that’s just how trials work. To check whether any Canadian sites near you are recruiting, head to ClinicalTrials.gov and search “retatrutide.”
Health Canada’s Special Access Program. This is a pathway for physicians to request unapproved drugs for specific patients when nothing else is suitable. In practice, it’s rare and requires your doctor to initiate it. Given that effective approved GLP-1 medications already exist (Mounjaro and Zepbound, for starters), the bar for SAP access would be high.
For most people in Canada who want the most advanced GLP-1 therapy available right now, tirzepatide (Mounjaro or Zepbound) is genuinely the closest thing on the market.
When Might Retatrutide Be Available in Canada?
Here’s the honest timeline, based on where Phase 3 trials appear to stand and how Health Canada’s review process typically works:
- Phase 3 results: Likely late 2025 or into 2026
- Regulatory submission (Health Canada and FDA): Estimated 2026–2027
- Health Canada review and approval: Usually takes 12–24 months after submission
So realistically? If everything goes well, we might be looking at 2027 or 2028 before retatrutide is available at Canadian pharmacies. That’s not a guaranteed timeline — it could be earlier if results are strong and Lilly prioritizes Canada, or later if there are any delays.
It’s also worth saying: Health Canada will need to see that Phase 3 data before even beginning a review. Until that data exists, everything is educated guesswork.
How Does It Stack Up Against What’s Already Available?
Here’s a quick side-by-side, using trial averages as a rough guide. Keep in mind that individual results vary quite a bit — these numbers are population averages, not guarantees.
| Medication | How It Works | Average Weight Loss (Trials) | Available in Canada? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic / Wegovy | GLP-1 agonist | ~12–15% | Yes |
| Mounjaro / Zepbound | GLP-1 + GIP dual agonist | ~20–22% | Yes |
| Retatrutide | GLP-1 + GIP + Glucagon | ~24% (Phase 2 only) | No — in trials / |
What Should You Actually Do With This Information?
If you’re reading about retatrutide because you’re looking for a weight loss medication, the most useful thing to do right now is have a real conversation with your doctor about what’s currently available. Mounjaro and Zepbound already produce results that would have seemed remarkable just a few years ago, and both are approved and available in Canada.
If you’re specifically curious about joining a trial, the ClinicalTrials.gov link above is your best starting point.
And if you just want to keep an eye on where things are headed — we’ll update this page as Phase 3 results come in and the approval picture becomes clearer.
The Questions We Get Asked Most
Is retatrutide approved anywhere?
Not yet, as of May 2026. It’s still in Phase 3 clinical trials. No country has approved it.
Is the 24% weight loss number real?
It’s real Phase 2 trial data, yes — published in a peer-reviewed journal. But Phase 2 is early-stage. Phase 3 results, which cover a much larger and more diverse group of people, will be the more definitive number. Those results are expected in the next year or so.
Is retatrutide better than Mounjaro?
Phase 2 data suggests higher average weight loss. But we won’t really know how the two compare head-to-head until Phase 3 is complete and real-world use data starts accumulating. “Better” also depends on individual response, side effects, and coverage — things that vary person to person.
What if I can’t wait? What’s available now?
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro for diabetes, Zepbound for weight management) is the most advanced GLP-1 medication currently approved in Canada. Talk to your doctor about whether it’s a fit for your situation. You can also browse our directory to find a prescriber near you.
Will retatrutide be expensive?
Too early to say with certainty, but based on how Mounjaro was priced when it launched, it would be reasonable to expect a similar range — likely $350–$500/month before insurance. If it’s approved for weight management (likely), coverage will depend on your insurance plan and provincial drug formulary.
Sources:
- Jastreboff AM, et al. “Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity.” New England Journal of Medicine, 2022.
- Jastreboff AM, et al. “Triple Hormone Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 Trial.” New England Journal of Medicine, 2023.
- ClinicalTrials.gov — TRIUMPH Phase 3 trial registry
- Health Canada Drug Product Database — approved GLP-1 medications
- Eli Lilly Canada — retatrutide pipeline information
Suggested internal links:
- /mounjaro-canada — if you want to explore what’s available now
- /zepbound-canada — the weight-management-approved tirzepatide option
- /tirzepatide-canada — how tirzepatide works and what to expect
- /generic-ozempic-canada — the more affordable semaglutide option just approved in Canada
- /glp1-pipeline-canada (future page) — what else is coming in the GLP-1 space
Last updated: May 2026 | GLP1Directory.ca
This page is for informational purposes only and doesn’t constitute medical advice. Information about investigational drugs is based on publicly available clinical trial data and may change as new results emerge. Always talk to a licensed Canadian healthcare provider about your specific situation.