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Head to Head

Semaglutide vs Retatrutide

The established GLP-1 agonist vs the emerging triple-agonist for metabolic outcomes. Here's a neutral, sourced side-by-side — no hype, every claim links to its evidence.

By The Health Stacks Research Team

Semaglutide

Approved

Also: Ozempic, Rybelsus

Semaglutide is a medicine that copies a natural body hormone called GLP-1. It is the main ingredient in the well-known drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.

105 studiesPeer-reviewed study
Shop Semaglutide

Retatrutide

Research

Also: LY3437943, UPB Reta (Triple Agonist)

Retatrutide is a lab-made copy of natural body chemicals that control hunger. It is a single string of 39 tiny building blocks called amino acids.

3 studiesPeer-reviewed study
Shop Retatrutide

At a Glance

SemaglutideRetatrutide
Research statusApprovedPhase3
Highest-tier evidencePeer-reviewed studyPeer-reviewed study
Research citations1053
Dosing routesSubQ, Oral
Receptor targetsGLP-1 receptor
Half-life7 days
Known side effects761114

Research Areas

Top preclinical research areas — cited studies for each.

Semaglutide

  • Weight loss (~15%)
  • Glycemic control
  • Cardiometabolic improvement

Retatrutide

  • Antiobesity (Weight Loss)
  • Weight loss / Obesity treatment
  • Glycaemic control in Type 2 Diabetes
  • Significant weight loss (14.9% reduction over 68 weeks)
  • Significant reduction in liver fat content

How People Use It

Reported routines — research only, not medical advice.

Semaglutide

  • SubQ — 7–14 mg
  • SubQ — ~400 mg
  • SubQ — 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg
  • SubQ — Discard vial within 28 days after first use; use a new sterile needle and syringe for each dose
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneously
  • SubQ — 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg once weekly subcutaneously
  • SubQ — 0.25 mg once weekly, escalating to 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and maintenance 2.4 mg
  • SubQ — 10 μg/kg
  • SubQ — 10 μg/kg, administered 120 minutes before oral glucose challenge
  • SubQ — Once daily
  • SubQ — Varies; reports of doses beyond FDA-approved label limits
  • Oral — 3 mg, 7 mg, or 14 mg orally once daily
  • SubQ — Once-weekly subcutaneous injection via prefilled pen; low starting dose increased every 4 weeks for first 16 weeks to reach recommended dose
  • Oral — One tablet once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
  • Oral — Once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking other medicines
  • Oral — One tablet once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
  • Oral — 2.5 mg to 40 mg co-formulated with 300 mg SNAC
  • — Manufactured in a variety of dosage strengths; patients typically start at the lowest dosage strength and, as needed, increase dosage strengths over time
  • SubQ — 0.25 milligrams (5 units / 0.05 mL) drawn with U-100 insulin syringe
  • Oral — One tablet once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
  • Oral — One tablet once a day on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly for weight reduction in patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m² (approved 2021)
  • Oral — Once daily on an empty stomach after at least 8 hours of fasting; wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other medicines
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly
  • Oral — 7-14 mg semaglutide co-formulated with ~400 mg SNAC, oral
  • SubQ — 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 0.1 mg once weekly
  • SubQ — 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg once weekly
  • SubQ — Start low, increase every 4 weeks up to 25 mg
  • SubQ — Maximum dose of 2.4 mg
  • SubQ — Once-weekly injection
  • SubQ — 3 mg once daily for 30 days, then increase to 7 mg once daily. If blood glucose levels are still too high after another 30 days, provider may increase dose to 14 mg once daily.
  • SubQ — 0.25 mg once weekly for the first 4 weeks, then increase to 0.5 mg once weekly. If blood glucose levels are still too high, dose may continue to increase every 4 weeks until reaching the effective amount (up to 2 mg once weekly).
  • SubQ — Up to 120 mL water, fast for 30 min post-dose
  • SubQ — Once-weekly
  • SubQ — 25mg
  • SubQ — 3mg to 14mg
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg weekly
  • SubQ — 25 mg once daily
  • SubQ — Days 31 through 60
  • SubQ — Days 61 through 90
  • SubQ — Initiate 25 mg maintenance dosage
  • SubQ — Filled prescription within 180 days of bariatric surgery
  • SubQ — 0.5-100 mg (including ranges of 0.5-50 mg, 0.5-25mg, 1-25 mg, 5-50 mg, 0.5-10 mg, 0.5-5 mg)
  • SubQ — 25mg daily
  • SubQ — 0.1-50 mg
  • SubQ — Up to 2.4 mg weekly
  • SubQ — Up to 2 mg weekly
  • SubQ — Up to 2.4 mg once weekly
  • SubQ — Once weekly
  • — Start at lowest dose, then increase gradually to match equivalent of previous compounded semaglutide dose
  • — First dose of second drug administered seven days after discontinuation
  • — First dose of second drug administered one day after discontinuation
  • — Both are semaglutide, but their FDA-approved uses and recommended dosages differ
  • Oral — Single dose of 10 mg semaglutide with 300 mg SNAC
  • Oral — Once-daily oral tablet, started at a low dose and increased about every four weeks to a maximum of 25 mg; taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with only 4 ounces of water, then wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking, or taking other medications; tablet must be swallowed whole
  • SubQ — 0.5mg and 1mg
  • SubQ — up to 2.4mg (maintenance)
  • Oral — 25 mg once daily, with 12-week dose escalation
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneous injection, with reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity
  • Oral — 0.1-50 mg GLP-1 agonist per composition
  • SubQ — First dose administered seven days after discontinuation
  • SubQ — First dose administered one day after discontinuation
  • — Used in clinical trials for up to 104 weeks (2 years); intended for long-term use
  • Oral — 25mg daily (oral), under FDA review
  • Oral — 3mg initiation, advanced to 7mg, then 14mg maintenance
  • SubQ — 1 mg injected once weekly
  • — 2.4 mg weekly
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg injection, used alongside a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity
  • Oral — 3 mg, 7 mg, 14 mg titration
  • Oral — 1.5 mg, escalate to 4 mg at day 31, escalate to 9 mg at day 61 if additional glycemic control required
  • Oral — 0.5-100 mg (e.g. 0.5-25 mg, 1-25 mg), administered every second day or more often, e.g. once or twice daily
  • SubQ — $350 per month via TrumpRx under US pricing agreement
  • Oral — $49 for the first month, $99 per month thereafter
  • SubQ — 7.2 mg
  • SubQ — 25 mg
  • SubQ — 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg
  • SubQ — 4 mg or 9 mg
  • SubQ — 25 mg and 50 mg vs 14 mg
  • SubQ — 0.25 mg weekly (Weeks 1-4), 0.5 mg weekly (Weeks 5-8), 1.0 mg weekly (Week 9+)
  • SubQ — 0.25 mg (Weeks 1-4) -> 0.5 mg (Weeks 5-8) -> 1.0 mg (Weeks 9-12) -> 1.7 mg (Weeks 13-16) -> 2.4 mg (Week 17+)
  • SubQ — 1.5 mg (4 weeks) -> 4 mg (4 weeks) -> 9 mg (4 weeks) -> 25 mg (maintenance)
  • SubQ — 1 mg titrated to 2 mg subcutaneous semaglutide
  • SubQ — 2.4 mg cagrilintide / 2.4 mg semaglutide weekly, escalated in parallel over 16-20 weeks
  • Oral — 0.5-100 mg (e.g. 0.5-50 mg, 1-25 mg, 5-50 mg) administered every second day or more often (e.g. once or twice daily), oral tablet

Retatrutide

Not yet documented for Retatrutide — being compiled.

The Evidence

Key studies — click through to verify each on PubMed.

Semaglutide

105 sourced studies

  • Two-Year Effects of Semaglutide (STEP 5)

    RCT2022 72/100Rated 72/100Source typeEstablished referenceIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source
  • Once-Weekly Semaglutide for Weight Management: A Clinical Review

    Review2022 82/100Rated 82/100Source typePeer-reviewed studyIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source
  • STEP 1 - Semaglutide in Overweight/Obesity

    Registry2018 88/100Rated 88/100Source typePeer-reviewed studyIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source
  • Cost-effectiveness of once-weekly semaglutide versus dulaglutide and lixisenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes with inadequate glycemic control in Sweden.

    2019 95/100Rated 95/100Source typePeer-reviewed studyIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source

Retatrutide

3 sourced studies

  • Efficacy and safety of retatrutide for the treatment of obesity: a systematic review of clinical trials.

    95/100Rated 95/100Source typePeer-reviewed studyIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source
  • Effects of retatrutide on body composition in people with type 2 diabetes: a substudy of a phase 2, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, randomised trial.

    95/100Rated 95/100Source typePeer-reviewed studyIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source
  • TRIUMPH-1: Phase 3 trial of retatrutide in adults with obesity or overweight and weight-related comorbidity

    72/100Rated 72/100Source typeEstablished referenceIndependent sourcesstill being verifiedEvery claim links to the page it came from, and stronger sources rate higher. Full methodology →
    Source

Decision Guide

How to Choose

Neither is a “winner” — they suit different goals. Compare the documented benefits and evidence above against what you’re actually trying to achieve, note the research status (approved vs research-stage), and read each full guide before deciding. Many people also stack peptides rather than pick one.

Source Semaglutide

Shop Semaglutide
Code ths10 applied at checkout

Source Retatrutide

Shop Retatrutide
Code ths10 applied at checkout
Educational content only. Peptides discussed are generally research compounds, not FDA-approved for human use unless stated. Consult a healthcare professional before use.

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