GLP-1 era / fat loss
Mazdutide vs Retatrutide: How They Compare
Two next-gen weight-loss drugs, compared on the actual trial data.
The quick version
- A dual-agonist (GLP-1 plus glucagon) weight-loss drug, still in trials.
- About 15.4 percent placebo-adjusted loss at 24 weeks in phase 2.
- Retatrutide leads on raw numbers; mazdutide is further along in China.
What it is
Mazdutide is a weight-loss drug that hits two targets, GLP-1 and glucagon. Retatrutide hits three (GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon). Both are newer than semaglutide and tirzepatide, and both are still in trials.
What the research shows
Both have real phase 2 data. Mazdutide at 9 mg drove about 15.4 percent placebo-adjusted weight loss at 24 weeks in Chinese adults (Nature Communications, 2023). Retatrutide reached about 24 percent at 48 weeks at 12 mg (NEJM, 2023), over a longer time and a different group. Neither is approved yet. Retatrutide has the bigger headline number, mazdutide is further along in China.
What it felt like
I have run retatrutide, not mazdutide. Mazdutide is hard to get outside China right now, so my comparison leans on the trials, not two personal cycles.
Dosing reality
Both climb slowly. Mazdutide trials went up to 9 mg weekly, retatrutide up to 12 mg. As unapproved drugs, those are trial numbers, not labels to copy.
The one mistake to avoid
The mistake is picking based on the biggest number alone. Trial length, dose, and population differ, so the headline percentages are not a clean head-to-head.
Bottom line
Retatrutide leads on raw weight-loss numbers, mazdutide is moving fast in China. Both are promising and both are still unproven outside trials.
Sources
Reminder: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. It is my own notes and reading of the research. Peptides sit in a legal grey area, research-grade is a real category, and it is on you to verify your own compliance. Talk to a qualified professional before you start anything, especially if you take other medication.