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News
Two major trials presented at EASD 2026 show that next-generation obesity drugs are pushing weight loss to near-surgical levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The eloralintide-tirzepatide combo achieved up to 23.3% body weight reduction, while the triple agonist retatrutide hit up to 20.8% in its phase 3 trial — both far exceeding what older GLP-1 drugs could manage in this harder-to-treat population.
Two landmark trials presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2026 Annual Meeting in Milan are reshaping expectations for obesity treatment in type 2 diabetes (T2D) — a population that has historically been harder to treat with weight-loss drugs.
In a phase 2 trial, combining the investigational amylin receptor agonist eloralintide with tirzepatide (a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist) produced up to 23.3% mean body weight loss at 48 weeks — compared to 14.8% with tirzepatide alone. Up to 77% of combination-treated patients achieved normoglycemia (A1c < 5.7%), and 90–100% hit the standard A1c goal of < 7%. Lead investigator Dr. Liana Billings noted the results were "very much in line with what we might expect with metabolic surgery." Eli Lilly plans to launch phase 3 trials of a co-formulated version by end of 2026.
Meanwhile, the phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 trial of retatrutide — a GLP-1/GIP/glucagon triple agonist — showed up to 20.8% weight loss at 80 weeks in 1,152 adults with T2D and obesity, along with meaningful A1c reductions and cardiovascular benefits. Experts noted this marks the first time a drug has crossed the 20% weight-loss threshold in this population.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: For years, T2D patients lagged behind their non-diabetic peers in achievable weight loss with medications. These results suggest that multi-hormone targeting strategies may finally close that gap — and potentially offer a non-surgical path to meaningful glycemic control and weight reduction for many patients.
