Triple Hormone Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Randomized Phase 2a Trial

Plain-language summary

This Nature Medicine phase 2a substudy evaluated retatrutide — a novel triple agonist of GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors — in participants with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) who had at least 10% liver fat at baseline. Building on the parent 48-week obesity trial, which showed weight reductions of up to 24.2%, the substudy assessed mean relative change in liver fat at 24 weeks and found significant reductions, highlighting the glucagon receptor component's role in driving hepatic fat oxidation. The results position retatrutide as a particularly compelling research candidate for MASLD alongside its established metabolic and weight-loss profile.