# Retatrutide vs Semaglutide 2026: PH Compare · PH Peptides Source: https://www.philippinespeptides.com/guides/retatrutide-vs-semaglutide Updated: 2026-11-03 > Retatrutide vs semaglutide: TRIUMPH-1 and STEP 1 trial results, triple vs single receptor mechanism, side effects and Philippine registration status. On this page - [Quick Comparison](#comparison) - [Short Answer](#verdict) - [How They Work](#mechanism) - [Efficacy Head to Head](#efficacy) - [Side Effect Profile](#side-effects) - [Availability in the Philippines](#availability) - [FAQ](#faq) - [Related guides](#related) # Retatrutide vs Semaglutide: the triple agonist against the original Philippines Peptides editorial desk Updated 3 November 2026 9 min read **Receptors** - Triple vs Single **Trial** - TRIUMPH-1 / STEP 1 Video guide: Retatrutide vs Tirzepatide vs Semaglutide (2:18) Retatrutide, tirzepatide or semaglutide? Three generations of GLP-1 research, compared for the Philippines. Semaglutide acts on one receptor, GLP-1. Tirzepatide adds GIP. Retatrutide adds glucagon: three. Phase 3, top arm: semaglutide, 14.9% in STEP 1. Tirzepatide, 20.9 in SURMOUNT-1. Retatrutide, 28.3 in TRIUMPH-1. Separate trials, different people, no head-to-head yet. TRIUMPH-5, retatrutide against tirzepatide, has not read out. Stopping for side effects, top arm: 5.9% on semaglutide, 6.2 on tirzepatide, 11.3 on retatrutide. Nausea led: 53.3% on semaglutide, 42.4 on retatrutide, and TRIUMPH-1 reported dysesthesia in 12.5. Here, semaglutide is registered as Ozempic and Wegovy, tirzepatide as Mounjaro, both prescription only. Retatrutide is registered nowhere. Prescribing belongs with a licensed Philippine physician. Next: Lilly plans retatrutide's US filing for early 2027, CagriSema is under FDA review, and mazdutide is approved in China. All three also come as research vials: not the same product, not approved for human use, and sold for research only. Our partner and supplier, Primara Labs, lists all three as 15 mg vials. Retatrutide: [₱3,390 for the 20 mg vial], or [₱2,076] in a 10 pack. About ₱199 per mg, or ₱122 in a 10 pack. A 20 mg vial is now listed at ₱3,390. Every order includes bacteriostatic water, syringes and alcohol pads, ships same day in Metro Manila before noon, and has a 60-day money-back guarantee. Read the full comparison on Philippines Peptides, then see retatrutide at Primara Labs and order on WhatsApp. [Figures in square brackets corrected on 3 November 2026 from Primara's current catalogue: the narration gives the price of the 15 mg retatrutide vial, retired on 12 October 2026.] Part of: [Retatrutide in the Philippines](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/guides/retatrutide-philippines-2026) **Reta TRIUMPH-1, 80 wk** - 28.3% **Sema STEP 1, 68 wk** - 14.9% **Reta receptors** - 3 **Sema receptors** - 1 ## Quick comparison These two sit at opposite ends of the incretin class. Semaglutide activates one receptor, GLP-1. Retatrutide activates three: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. In the Philippines they also sit in completely different regulatory positions. | Factor | Retatrutide | Semaglutide | | --- | --- | --- | | Mechanism | GLP-1 + GIP + Glucagon | GLP-1 only | | Receptors | 3 | 1 | | Mean body-weight change, highest arm | 28.3% at 80 wk (TRIUMPH-1, phase 3, 12 mg arm) | 14.9% at 68 wk (STEP 1, phase 3, 2.4 mg arm) | | US FDA status | Investigational | Approved (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) | | FDA Philippines | No registered drug product found on the FDA verification portal | Registered only as branded prescription medicines: Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus (17 certificates of product registration) | | PH pharmacy route | None | Branded medicines, with a prescription | | Post-approval data | None, trial data only | Years, at scale | Our partner and supplier Research vials: cost per mg | Product | Price | Per mg | | --- | --- | --- | | Primara Labs Retatrutide 20mg research vial20 mg per vial | ₱3,390₱2,076 each in a 10-pack | ₱170₱104 in a 10-pack | | Primara Labs Tirzepatide 15mg research vial15 mg per vial | ₱1,890₱1,155 each in a 10-pack | ₱126₱77 in a 10-pack | | Primara Labs Semaglutide 15mg research vial15 mg per vial | ₱1,990₱1,216 each in a 10-pack | ₱133₱81 in a 10-pack | Research vials are not approved for human use, are sold for research only, and must be reconstituted. - Stocked in Metro Manila; same-day delivery there for orders before 12 noon - Lab report: Janoshik, batch RETA-4728-A, retatrutide, bacterial endotoxin only; not identity or purity. Key [H2KI86I8GWB4](https://verify.janoshik.com/tests/234146_H2KI86I8GWB4), [batch reports](https://www.primaralabs.com/coa?utm_source=philippinespeptides&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=bridge&utm_content=retatrutide-vs-semaglutide) - [60-day money-back guarantee](https://www.primaralabs.com/guarantee?utm_source=philippinespeptides&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=bridge&utm_content=retatrutide-vs-semaglutide) - GCash, Maya, QR Ph bank transfer, InstaPay Primara Labs is our partner and supplier. ## Short answer Larger published weight change Registered medicine, deepest safety record Reading the gap ## How they actually work Semaglutide is pure GLP-1 receptor agonism: satiety signalling to the brain, slower gastric emptying, improved insulin response. It is the most-studied version of the incretin mechanism. Retatrutide keeps that GLP-1 base, adds GIP, and then adds the glucagon receptor. Glucagon receptor activation acts on hepatic fat oxidation and energy expenditure, and it is the main mechanistic difference between the two molecules. It is also why retatrutide appears in liver-fat research, covered in the [retatrutide liver research filing](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/retatrutide#half-life-liver). ## Efficacy head-to-head In TRIUMPH-1, an 80-week phase 3 trial of 2,339 adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, without diabetes, body weight fell by 19%, 25.9% and 28.3% on the 4 mg, 9 mg and 12 mg arms, against 2.2% on placebo. In STEP 1, a 68-week phase 3 trial of 1,961 adults with BMI of 30 or greater (27 or greater with at least one weight-related coexisting condition), without diabetes, body weight fell by 14.9% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 2.4% on placebo. No trial has run the two head-to-head, so the comparison is two strong data points rather than one controlled answer. The earlier phase 2 retatrutide trial is history rather than the headline: In Retatrutide phase 2 (Jastreboff), a 48-week phase 2 trial of 338 adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition, body weight fell by 8.7%, 17.1%, 22.8% and 24.2% on the 1 mg, 4 mg (pooled), 8 mg (pooled) and 12 mg arms, against 2.1% on placebo. Tirzepatide, the two-receptor middle step, gives context. In SURMOUNT-1, a 72-week phase 3 trial of 2,539 adults with BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with at least one weight-related complication, excluding diabetes, body weight fell by 15%, 19.5% and 20.9% on the 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg arms, against 3.1% on placebo. In SURMOUNT-5, a 72-week phase 3b trial of 751 adults with obesity but without type 2 diabetes, body weight fell by 20.2% on the Tirzepatide, maximum tolerated dose arm, against 13.7% on semaglutide, maximum tolerated dose. A head-to-head phase 3 trial of retatrutide against tirzepatide, TRIUMPH-5, has not read out. ## Side effect profile Both compounds produce the class-standard gastrointestinal effects, nausea first among them. The trial figures, with the comparator arm alongside: Retatrutide, TRIUMPH-1 (an 80-week phase 3 trial of 2,339 adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, without diabetes): - Discontinuation for adverse events: 4.1%, 6.9% and 11.3% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 4.9% on placebo. - Nausea: 28.6%, 38.4% and 42.4% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 14.8% on placebo. - Diarrhoea: 25.2%, 34.1% and 32% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 13.5% on placebo. - Constipation: 23.8%, 25.9% and 26.1% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 10.9% on placebo. - Vomiting: 10.6%, 22.8% and 25.3% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 4.8% on placebo. - Dysesthesia: 5.1%, 12.3% and 12.5% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 0.9% on placebo. - Urinary tract infection: 7.5%, 8.8% and 8.4% on the 4, 9 and 12 mg arms, against 5.3% on placebo. Semaglutide, STEP 5 (a 104-week phase 3 trial of 304 adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity, without diabetes). The synced dataset carries no adverse event rows for STEP 1: - Discontinuation for adverse events: 5.9% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 4.6% on placebo. - Gastrointestinal adverse events: 82.2% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 53.9% on placebo. - Nausea: 53.3% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 21.7% on placebo. - Diarrhoea: 34.9% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 23.7% on placebo. - Constipation: 30.9% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 11.2% on placebo. - Vomiting: 30.3% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 4.6% on placebo. Shared serious warnings ## Availability in the Philippines Semaglutide: Registered only as branded prescription medicines: Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus (17 certificates of product registration). Those medicines are dispensed by pharmacies against a prescription, and prescribing belongs with a licensed Philippine physician. Dated pharmacy prices sit in the [semaglutide guide](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/peptides/semaglutide) for Ozempic and the [Wegovy price filing](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/guides/wegovy-price-philippines) for Wegovy. Retatrutide: No registered drug product found on the FDA verification portal. It has no pharmacy route; availability, legal status and the batch report are in the [retatrutide Philippines](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/guides/retatrutide-philippines-2026) guide. It exists in the Philippines only as research-grade material sold for laboratory research, which is not a registered medicine and not a substitute for a prescribed pen. Under RA 9711 a drug must be registered with FDA Philippines before it is imported, sold or distributed; the [regulation hub](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal) sets out what that means. Retatrutide 20mg research vial ₱3,390, Tirzepatide 15mg research vial ₱1,890, Semaglutide 15mg research vial ₱1,990: from Primara Labs, our partner and supplier, stocked in Metro Manila. Research use only. ## Frequently asked questions Is retatrutide better than semaglutide? On the published trials, retatrutide produced the larger body-weight reduction. In TRIUMPH-1, an 80-week phase 3 trial of 2,339 adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, without diabetes, body weight fell by 19%, 25.9% and 28.3% on the 4 mg, 9 mg and 12 mg arms, against 2.2% on placebo. In STEP 1, a 68-week phase 3 trial of 1,961 adults with BMI of 30 or greater (27 or greater with at least one weight-related coexisting condition), without diabetes, body weight fell by 14.9% on the 2.4 mg arm, against 2.4% on placebo. These are separate trials in different populations and of different lengths, not a head-to-head comparison. Semaglutide is a registered prescription medicine in the Philippines with years of post-approval safety data; retatrutide is investigational and has no registered product in any market. How much more weight loss did retatrutide produce than semaglutide in trials? The 12 mg arm of TRIUMPH-1, an 80-week phase 3 trial of 2,339 adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, without diabetes, lost 28.3% of body weight on average. The 2.4 mg arm of STEP 1, a 68-week phase 3 trial of 1,961 adults with BMI of 30 or greater (27 or greater with at least one weight-related coexisting condition), without diabetes, lost 14.9%. No trial has compared the two directly, so the gap between those figures is an indication rather than a controlled answer. Where are retatrutide and semaglutide sold in the Philippines? Semaglutide: Registered only as branded prescription medicines: Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus (17 certificates of product registration). Those medicines are dispensed by pharmacies against a prescription, and prescribing belongs with a licensed Philippine physician. Retatrutide: No registered drug product found on the FDA verification portal; it has no pharmacy route and exists in the Philippines only as research-grade material sold for laboratory research, which is not a registered medicine and not a substitute for a prescribed pen. Is retatrutide available in Philippine pharmacies? No. Retatrutide is investigational and has no registered product in any market. For the Philippines: No registered drug product found on the FDA verification portal. Semaglutide is the pharmacy-available molecule of the two, as branded prescription medicines. Our partner and supplier ### Retatrutide for laboratory research Retatrutide is investigational and is not a registered medicine or a substitute for a prescribed pen. Primara Labs, our partner and supplier, sells retatrutide as research-grade material for laboratory research, from stock held inside the Philippines, with batch-numbered vials. ## Related guides --- Philippines Peptides sells nothing. Primara Labs is our partner and supplier. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.