TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 Results: Two More Phase 3 Wins (July 23, 2026)
TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 results, Jul 23, 2026: 20.8% weight loss with type 2 diabetes and 22.6% with heart disease on 12 mg, plus the heart event counts.
Event date Last verified Primary source Eli Lilly and Company (PR Newswire)
The TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 results came out together on July 23, 2026, and both trials met their goals: on 12 mg, people with obesity and type 2 diabetes lost 20.8% of their weight on average and people with severe obesity and heart disease lost 22.6%, after 80 weeks. Placebo groups lost 4.0% and 3.2%. The primary source is Lilly's July 23 release, and its figures use the efficacy estimand.
Key takeaways
- Lilly announced two Phase 3 results on July 23, 2026: TRIUMPH-2 in obesity with type 2 diabetes and TRIUMPH-3 in severe obesity with cardiovascular disease.
- Both met their goals. Weight fell 20.8% on 12 mg in TRIUMPH-2 and 22.6% in TRIUMPH-3, against 4.0% and 3.2% on placebo.
- TRIUMPH-3 counted heart events, but too few happened to show an effect in either direction.
- Lilly said that day it was completing its manufacturing package and planned to submit in the first quarter of 2027.
These were the fourth and fifth Phase 3 readouts for retatrutide. Each trial has its own page: TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3.
The two trials Lilly reported
TRIUMPH-2 randomized 1,152 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes to 4 mg, 9 mg, 12 mg or placebo. TRIUMPH-3 randomized 1,949 adults with a BMI of 35 or more and established cardiovascular disease, with or without diabetes, 1:1:2 to 9 mg, 12 mg or placebo. Both ran 80 weeks, and everyone started at 2 mg and stepped up every 4 weeks.
TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 results side by side
| Measure (80 weeks, efficacy estimand) | TRIUMPH-2 | TRIUMPH-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting weight | 106.4 kg (234.6 lb) | 111.4 kg (245.6 lb) |
| Weight change on 9 mg | -19.1% | -21.6% |
| Weight change on 12 mg | -20.8% | -22.6% |
| Weight change on placebo | -4.0% | -3.2% |
| Nausea on 12 mg vs placebo | 28.0% vs 8.0% | 22.4% vs 5.8% |
| Stopped for side effects, 9 mg / 12 mg / placebo | 11.6% / 7.7% / 4.9% | 9.8% / 13.5% / 4.8% |
TRIUMPH-2 also tracked blood sugar. From a starting A1C of 7.7%, it fell 1.4, 1.6 and 1.5 points on 4, 9 and 12 mg, against 0.2 on placebo. On 4 mg, weight fell 12.7%.
In TRIUMPH-3, the top dose cut triglycerides by 37.0%, non-HDL cholesterol by 16.5%, systolic blood pressure by 9.3 mmHg and hsCRP, an inflammation marker, by 51.2%. High blood sugar was reported less often on retatrutide (3.9% and 3.1%) than on placebo (13.4%).
The heart events in TRIUMPH-3
TRIUMPH-3 counted major heart events, and they happened less often than expected in both the retatrutide and placebo groups. On the pre-specified 5-part measure, pooled retatrutide had 44 events against 52 on placebo, a hazard ratio of 0.82 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.55 to 1.22. On the 3-part measure it was 27 against 23, a hazard ratio of 1.12 (0.64 to 1.96). Both intervals cross 1, so neither shows a benefit or a harm.
Our read: too few heart events happened in TRIUMPH-3 to settle the heart question. TRIUMPH-Outcomes, with about 10,000 people, has heart and kidney events as its main endpoints, and ClinicalTrials.gov doesn't expect its main results until February 2029 (estimated). The heart health page covers what the risk-factor numbers suggest in the meantime.
Where the two trials stand now
The Lancet published TRIUMPH-2 in full on September 29, 2026, with a primary weight loss of 18.8% on 12 mg against 5.1% on placebo using the treatment-regimen estimand; the September 29 news page has it. We found no journal paper for TRIUMPH-3 as of October 31, 2026, and Lilly hasn't released its treatment-regimen numbers.
The filing plan Lilly gave that day
On July 23 Lilly said it was completing the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) package for a Biologics License Application and planned to submit in the first quarter of 2027. Lilly last said, on September 29, 2026, that it plans to submit retatrutide to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027 as a Biologics License Application (BLA). On October 2, 2026, the FDA decided that retatrutide is a drug, not a biological product, so an application would need to be filed under section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Lilly's appeal on that question is pending in the Seventh Circuit, and we found no ruling as of October 31, 2026.
No approved version exists yet, and anything listed as retatrutide for sale online isn't the drug these trials tested.
Frequently asked questions
What were the TRIUMPH-3 results?
In 1,949 adults with a BMI of 35 or more and established heart disease, weight fell 21.6% on 9 mg and 22.6% on 12 mg after 80 weeks, against 3.2% on placebo (efficacy estimand). On the top dose, triglycerides fell 37.0% and systolic blood pressure 9.3 mmHg.
Did retatrutide reduce heart attacks in TRIUMPH-3?
The trial can't say. Heart events were rarer than expected. The 5-part count favored retatrutide (44 against 52 events, hazard ratio 0.82) and the 3-part count went the other way (27 against 23, hazard ratio 1.12), and both confidence intervals cross 1. TRIUMPH-Outcomes is built to answer it.
How did TRIUMPH-2 do on blood sugar?
From a starting A1C of 7.7%, it fell 1.4, 1.6 and 1.5 points on 4, 9 and 12 mg against 0.2 on placebo after 80 weeks, using the efficacy estimand.
Is TRIUMPH-3 published?
Not as of October 31, 2026. TRIUMPH-2 was published in The Lancet on September 29, 2026, but we found no paper for TRIUMPH-3.
Sources
- Lilly's triple agonist, retatrutide, successful in two additional Phase 3 obesity trials, delivering significant improvements in weight and A1C (TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 topline). Eli Lilly and Company (PR Newswire), 2026. prnewswire.com
- Bellido V et al., TRIUMPH-2 trial report, Lancet 2026;408(10563):1455-1472. The Lancet, 2026. doi.org
- TRIUMPH-Outcomes registry record, NCT06383390. ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026. clinicaltrials.gov
- Europe PMC search: journal articles with retatrutide or LY3437943 in the title, June to December 2026. Europe PMC, 2026. ebi.ac.uk
- FDA decision on remand on whether retatrutide is a biological product, October 2, 2026 (filed in the Seventh Circuit as Doc. 46-2). U.S. Food and Drug Administration (CourtListener RECAP archive), 2026. storage.courtlistener.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.
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TRIUMPH-2 Results
TRIUMPH 2 retatrutide results from The Lancet: 20.8% weight loss and a 1.5-point A1C drop on 12 mg over 80 weeks in type 2 diabetes, with dropout rates by dose.
TRIUMPH 3 Retatrutide Results
TRIUMPH 3 retatrutide results: 22.6% weight loss on 12 mg at 80 weeks in people with heart disease, plus the heart-event numbers and what they can't show.
TRIUMPH-2 Published in The Lancet (September 29, 2026)
The TRIUMPH-2 Lancet paper, Sep 29, 2026: 18.8% weight loss on 12 mg vs 5.1% on placebo in people with type 2 diabetes. Side effects, deaths, A1C targets.
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.
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