Incretin triple agonist retatrutide (LY3437943) alleviates obesity-associated cancer progression.
NPJ Metab Health Dis · 2025
Last updated 2026-05-28In lab tests, a drug called retatrutide (RETA) led to significant weight loss and reduced pancreatic cancer growth by 14 times compared to a 4 times reduction with semaglutide. Even after stopping the drug, the cancer-slowing effects of RETA lasted, and it also cut lung cancer growth by 50% with a 17 times smaller tumor size compared to untreated mice.
AI summary of the abstract below.
| Journal | NPJ Metab Health Dis, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Citations | 8 |
| Relative citation ratio | 3.01 |
| Molecules | retatrutide |
| Conditions studied | Obesity |
Abstract
Medical therapeutics for weight loss are changing the landscape of obesity but impacts on obesity-associated cancer remain unclear. We report that in pre-clinical models with significant retatrutide (RETA, LY3437943)-induced weight loss, pancreatic cancer engraftment was reduced, tumor onset was delayed, and progression was attenuated resulting in a 14-fold reduction in tumor volume compared to only 4-fold reduction in single agonist semaglutide-treated mice. Despite weight re-gain after RETA withdrawal, the anti-tumor benefits of RETA persisted. Remarkably, RETA-induced protection extends to a lung cancer model with 50% reduced tumor engraftment, significantly delayed tumor onset, and mitigated tumor progression, with a 17-fold reduction in tumor volume compared to controls. RETA induced immune reprogramming systemically and in the tumor microenvironment with durable anti-tumor immunity evidenced by elevated circulating IL-6, increased antigen presenting cells, reduced immunosuppressive cells, and activation of pro-inflammatory pathways. In sum, our findings suggest that patients with RETA-mediated weight loss may also benefit from reduced cancer risk and improved outcomes.
Verbatim abstract via PubMed 40094000 ↗
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