Retatrutide at ADA 2026: TRIUMPH-1 Details and the TRANSCEND-T2D-1 Paper (June 6, 2026)
Retatrutide at ADA 2026, Jun 6: TRIUMPH-1 knee pain and sleep apnea results, and TRANSCEND-T2D-1 published in The Lancet. What was new and what changed later.
Event date Last verified Primary source Eli Lilly and Company (PR Newswire)
The retatrutide ADA 2026 news came on June 6, 2026, in two parts: Lilly presented TRIUMPH-1 in detail at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions, with the first knee pain and sleep apnea results, and The Lancet published TRANSCEND-T2D-1, the first journal paper for a retatrutide Phase 3 trial. The primary sources are Lilly's ADA release and the Lancet paper.
Key takeaways
- On June 6, 2026 Lilly presented TRIUMPH-1 in detail at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions, including its knee osteoarthritis and sleep apnea groups.
- Both groups met their main goals at 80 weeks. Lilly gave only best-arm "up to" figures, without placebo values.
- The same day, The Lancet published TRANSCEND-T2D-1, the first peer-reviewed retatrutide Phase 3 paper.
- NEJM later published the per-dose knee and sleep apnea numbers, which are smaller than the June headline figures and use a different estimand.
This page records what was new that day and how later papers changed it. The trials themselves are on the TRIUMPH-1 and TRANSCEND-T2D-1 pages.
What Lilly presented on TRIUMPH-1
TRIUMPH-1 was designed with two basket groups inside it, one for knee osteoarthritis and one for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. Both met their primary endpoints at 80 weeks, Lilly said. In the knee group, pain on the WOMAC scale fell by up to 4.3 points (73.1%) from a starting score of 6.0. In the sleep apnea group, the apnea-hypopnea index fell by up to 36.1 events per hour (60.6%) from 58.6.
Risk factors and BMI in TRIUMPH-1
The release also gave risk factors, again as best-arm figures: triglycerides down by up to 41.0%, non-HDL cholesterol by up to 24.2%, systolic blood pressure by up to 12.3 mmHg and waist size by up to 9.5 inches (24.1 cm). And 33.3% of people on 12 mg ended the trial with a BMI under 25.
The first retatrutide Phase 3 paper
Bajaj and colleagues' Lancet paper reported TRANSCEND-T2D-1, a 40-week trial of 537 adults with type 2 diabetes managed with diet and exercise alone, at 48 sites in the USA, Mexico and India. On the treatment-regimen estimand, A1C fell 1.69, 1.86 and 1.94 points on 4, 9 and 12 mg against 0.81 on placebo, differences of 0.88, 1.04 and 1.12 points (all p < 0.0001). Nobody had severe low blood sugar. The 2 deaths, both on 4 mg, were judged unrelated to the study drug.
Lilly's June 6 release added A1C targets using the efficacy estimand: up to 90% of people reached an A1C under 7.0%, up to 85% reached 6.5% or below, and up to 46% got under 5.7%.
How the retatrutide ADA 2026 numbers held up
The "up to" figures were the best arm, with the efficacy estimand and no placebo value. NEJM later published every arm:
| Measure | Lilly at ADA, June 6 (efficacy estimand, best arm) | NEJM, 9 mg | NEJM, 12 mg | NEJM, placebo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee pain, WOMAC points | Up to -4.3 | -3.5 | -3.6 | -1.9 |
| Sleep apnea, events per hour | Up to -36.1 | -34.3 | -31.7 | -9.9 |
The NEJM columns use the hybrid-treatment estimand. Our read: the June figures were never wrong, but they answered a narrower question. If you're comparing retatrutide with another drug for knee pain or sleep apnea, use the NEJM numbers and the placebo result beside them.
What came next
NEJM published TRIUMPH-1 on September 29, 2026 and the two sleep apnea trials on October 21, 2026; the October 21 news page has the full sleep apnea results, and the retatrutide for sleep apnea page covers the condition. Lilly's October 2026 FAQ now says TRIUMPH-1 was "presented at the 2026 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions and published in The New England Journal of Medicine."
No approved version exists yet, and anything listed as retatrutide for sale online isn't the drug these trials tested. The June 6 release repeated Lilly's line that retatrutide is "legally available only to participants in Lilly's clinical trials."
Frequently asked questions
What did Lilly present about retatrutide at ADA 2026?
Detailed TRIUMPH-1 results, including its two basket groups. Knee pain on the WOMAC scale fell by up to 4.3 points from 6.0, and apnea events fell by up to 36.1 an hour from 58.6, both using the efficacy estimand.
Was TRANSCEND-T2D-1 published?
Yes. Bajaj and colleagues published it in The Lancet online on June 6, 2026. It was the first journal paper for any retatrutide Phase 3 trial.
Are the ADA sleep apnea numbers still right?
They're accurate as Lilly reported them, but they're best-arm figures using the efficacy estimand. The NEJM paper of October 21, 2026 gives every arm with placebo: 34.3 and 31.7 fewer events per hour on 9 and 12 mg against 9.9 on placebo (hybrid-treatment estimand).
Did anyone die in TRANSCEND-T2D-1?
The Lancet reports 2 deaths, both in the 4 mg group, and both judged unrelated to the study drug. There was no severe low blood sugar.
Sources
- Lilly's triple agonist, retatrutide, drove substantial improvements in weight, A1C, knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea (ADA 2026 release). Eli Lilly and Company (PR Newswire), 2026. prnewswire.com
- Efficacy and safety of retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor agonist, in people with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycaemic control with diet and exercise (TRANSCEND-T2D-1): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial. The Lancet, 2026. doi.org
- Jastreboff AM et al., Retatrutide, a Triple Hormone Receptor Agonist, for Treatment of Obesity (TRIUMPH-1). The New England Journal of Medicine, 2026. doi.org
- Grunstein RR et al., Retatrutide Once Weekly for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (TRIUMPH-1-OSA and TRIUMPH-2-OSA). The New England Journal of Medicine, 2026. doi.org
- What to know about retatrutide. Eli Lilly and Company, 2026. lilly.com
Dr. Juan Pablo Frías, MD
Physician-Scientist & Clinical Trialist • Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Dr. Frías earned his M.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his endocrinology fellowship at UC San Diego. A principal investigator on landmark incretin trials (including retatrutide, tirzepatide and semaglutide), he reviews all guides on Retatrutide360 for clinical accuracy, dosing safety and evidence fidelity.
Related guides & clinical tools
Continue reading our evidence-backed guides and use our syringe calculation tools.
TRIUMPH 1 Retatrutide Results
TRIUMPH 1 retatrutide results from the NEJM paper: 25.0% average weight loss on 12 mg over 80 weeks, serious side effects by dose, who stopped and why.
TRANSCEND-T2D-1 Results
TRANSCEND T2D 1 results from The Lancet: retatrutide cut A1C by up to 1.94 points and weight by 15.3% in 40 weeks, with deaths, stopping rates and side effects.
Retatrutide for Sleep Apnea
Retatrutide sleep apnea results from NEJM: breathing events fell 34.3 an hour on 9 mg vs 9.9 on placebo over 80 weeks. Doses, Zepbound and CPAP, explained.
NEJM Publishes the Retatrutide Sleep Apnea Trials (October 21, 2026)
Retatrutide sleep apnea results in NEJM, Oct 21, 2026: apnea events fell 34.3 an hour on 9 mg vs 9.9 on placebo in TRIUMPH-1-OSA. Both trials by dose.
Retatrutide News and Updates (October 2026)
Retatrutide news, October 2026: the first head-to-head win over Ozempic, the FDA's drug-not-biologic decision, new NEJM papers and the crackdown on sellers.
Turn any dose into syringe units
Vial, water and dose in, exact syringe units out. Calculates reconstitution volumes and needle tick marks for 5 mg to 60 mg vials with zero guesswork.