Semaglutide vs tirzepatide vs retatrutide

Kinds of source describe where information comes from, not how good it is.

They are separate compounds with their own pages.

Most trial results in each column come from different trials in different people, so they cannot be lined up against each other. The head-to-head row is the exception: in those trials, one group got tirzepatide and another got semaglutide.

• What it is

  Learn Peptides explanation

  semaglutide

  Made by Novo Nordisk and sold as Ozempic, Wegovy and the pill Rybelsus. It acts on 1 gut hormone signal, GLP-1. The FDA approved it for type 2 diabetes in 2017 (as Ozempic), then for weight management in 2021 (as Wegovy).

  tirzepatide

  Made by Eli Lilly and sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. It acts on 2 gut hormone signals instead of 1.

  retatrutide

  Made by Eli Lilly and still being tested in clinical trials. It acts on 3 hormone signals: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon.

• Why people look at it

  Community reports

  semaglutide

  Appetite control, less food noise, weight loss, belly fat and blood sugar control.

  tirzepatide

  Less food noise, appetite control, weight loss, belly fat and metabolic health.

  retatrutide

  Weight loss, appetite control, less food noise and higher energy use.

• Patterns people report

  Community reports

  semaglutide

  Food takes up less mental space, and appetite feels easier to manage. Many also say they drink less alcohol.

  tirzepatide

  A big drop in food noise and appetite. Many who switched from semaglutide say they had less nausea on tirzepatide.

  retatrutide

  Strong control of appetite and food noise. Several people say it kept working after semaglutide or tirzepatide leveled off for them.

• When people say it did little

  Community reports

  semaglutide

  A smaller group say it barely touched their hunger at the lowest starting dose. A few say it never worked for them, even after months.

  tirzepatide

  A noticeable minority felt little at the starting dose until they moved up. A few say it never worked as well as they hoped.

  retatrutide

  A smaller number say it barely worked at a low dose at first, or later stalled like the other drugs. Fewer say it never worked at all.

• Side effects people mention

  Community reports

  semaglutide

  Nausea and stomach upset, constipation and fatigue are common. Hair thinning comes up sometimes.

  tirzepatide

  Nausea and stomach upset and hair thinning are common. Fatigue and constipation come up sometimes.

  retatrutide

  Nausea and stomach upset, flat mood or lower sex drive, and needing much more water are common. Fatigue comes up sometimes.

• What studies in people show

  Human research

  semaglutide

  In a large trial, adults with overweight or obesity lost more weight on semaglutide than on placebo over more than a year. Trials in type 2 diabetes found lower blood sugar.

  tirzepatide

  In a large obesity trial, people lost more weight on tirzepatide than on placebo. Trials in type 2 diabetes found lower blood sugar.

  retatrutide

  In one mid-size obesity trial, people lost more weight on retatrutide than on placebo over 48 weeks. A trial in type 2 diabetes found better blood sugar control.

• Head-to-head trials

  Learn Peptides explanation

  semaglutide

  Two trials tested it directly against tirzepatide: SURPASS-2 in type 2 diabetes, for blood sugar, and SURMOUNT-5 in obesity, for weight.

  tirzepatide

  In SURPASS-2, people given tirzepatide had a bigger drop in blood sugar than a separate group given semaglutide. In SURMOUNT-5, 751 adults with obesity but no diabetes took the highest dose they could tolerate of one or the other for 72 weeks. Weight fell by an average of 20.2% on tirzepatide and 13.7% on semaglutide. The trial was open-label and funded by Eli Lilly, which makes tirzepatide.

  retatrutide

  Comparisons with semaglutide or tirzepatide come from forums, not controlled head-to-head studies.

• What is not established

  Learn Peptides explanation

  semaglutide

  Results from the approved medicines do not prove that a separate, non-prescription version is well made or works.

  tirzepatide

  Results from the approved medicines are not proof about a separate vial or product.

  retatrutide

  It is still in trials, and long-term heart data are missing. The skin tingling some people report has no known cause.

• Where the dose starts

  Each line comes from one source. A dose of one compound says nothing about the strength of another. Each page lists every schedule with its source. Do not mix steps from different sources.

  semaglutide

  Starts at 0.25 mg, once weekly, then steps up.Source: Prescription label, branded medicine.This is the label amount for the branded medicine Wegovy. It is not a dosing instruction for other products.See all dosages for Semaglutide

  tirzepatide

  Starts at 2.5 mg, once weekly, then steps up.Source: Prescription label, branded medicine.This is the label amount for the branded medicine Zepbound. It is not a dosing instruction for other products.See all dosages for Tirzepatide

  retatrutide

  Starts at 2 mg, once weekly, then steps up.Source: Practitioner.See all dosages for Retatrutide

• At US Precision Peptides

  What our partner, US Precision Peptides, lists for each. Each page's Next step has the details.

  semaglutide

  Listed as Semaglutide. This US Precision Peptides listing is a separate product, not the brand-name medicines Ozempic or Wegovy or Rybelsus from Novo Nordisk. Check the listing’s own formulation, labeled use and purchase requirements.See product details for Semaglutide

  tirzepatide

  Listed as Tirzepatide. This US Precision Peptides listing is a separate product, not the brand-name medicines Mounjaro or Zepbound from Eli Lilly. Check the listing’s own formulation, labeled use and purchase requirements.See product details for Tirzepatide

  retatrutide

  Listed as Retatrutide.See product details for Retatrutide

• The semaglutide and tirzepatide labels carry a boxed warning against use with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2. Retatrutide is in the same drug class.
• The semaglutide and tirzepatide labels warn about pancreatitis and gallbladder problems. Retatrutide is in the same drug class. With a history of either, talk it through with your doctor first.
• Combined with insulin or other blood-sugar medicine, any of the three can push blood sugar too low. Your doctor may need to adjust those medicines.
• Stepping up the dose slowly comes up again and again in the forums. People who step up quickly report far more nausea and vomiting.
• The practitioner commentary on retatrutide says resting heart rate reliably rises, and blood pressure can drop a lot. That drop is riskier for lean people whose blood pressure is already normal.
• The same commentary says retatrutide suppresses thirst, so dehydration is a real risk and can make other side effects worse.
• Losing a lot of weight without enough protein and strength training can cost extra muscle.
• Do not stop retatrutide suddenly after a high dose. Step down first.

• This comparison does not say which drug is right for anyone. Only the head-to-head trials compared two of them directly, and none included retatrutide.
• It does not say that a non-prescription product works like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound.
• It does not treat retatrutide as an approved medicine. It is still in trials.
• It does not suggest switching between them or using them together.

Each page has its own research, cautions and commonly researched dosages.