No. Retatrutide is not available in Australia. Not through pharmacies, not through compounding, not through any approved channel as of 2025. It has not been submitted to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for approval yet.
That is the short answer. But there is a lot more worth knowing, especially if you are waiting on this drug or trying to figure out what to do in the meantime.
What Is Retatrutide and How Does It Work?
Retatrutide is a triple hormone receptor agonist. It targets three receptors at once, GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. Most people have heard of semaglutide, which only targets GLP-1. Tirzepatide targets GLP-1 and GIP. Retatrutide hits all three.
That third receptor, glucagon, is the key difference. Glucagon increases energy expenditure. Your body burns more calories at rest. Combined with the appetite suppression from GLP-1 and the insulin sensitivity improvements from GIP, you get a drug that works on weight from multiple directions at once.
In the Phase 2 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2023, participants lost up to 24.2% of their body weight over 48 weeks at the highest dose. That is more than any other weight loss drug tested to date. For context, semaglutide at its highest dose produces around 15% body weight loss, and tirzepatide around 20%.
Eli Lilly is developing retatrutide. Phase 3 trials are currently running. Those results are expected in 2025 and 2026.
Is Retatrutide Currently Approved for Use in Australia?
No. The TGA has not approved retatrutide. Eli Lilly has not submitted a dossier to the TGA for retatrutide as of early 2025. Before any drug gets approved in Australia, the manufacturer has to complete Phase 3 trials, compile the full safety and efficacy data, and then submit that package to the TGA for review. That process alone takes 12 to 18 months after submission.
So even in the best case scenario, retatrutide is years away from being on Australian pharmacy shelves.
What I find interesting is that the question of whether is retatrutide available in Australia yet keeps coming up, and the answer keeps being no, but the reasons why matter. This is not a regulatory delay or a bureaucratic problem. The drug simply has not finished its clinical development program yet.
When Might Retatrutide Become Available in Australia?
Realistically, 2027 at the earliest. Here is why.
- Phase 3 trials need to complete. Results are expected through 2025 and into 2026.
- Eli Lilly needs to compile and submit the data to the FDA in the US first. That is standard practice. US approval typically comes before Australian submission.
- After FDA approval, Eli Lilly would then submit to the TGA. TGA review takes 12 to 18 months.
- PBS listing, which is what makes a drug affordable in Australia, adds another 12 to 24 months on top of TGA approval.
So if Phase 3 data lands in late 2025, FDA approval might come in 2026, TGA submission in late 2026, TGA approval in 2027 or 2028, and PBS listing potentially 2029 or later.
That is not pessimism. That is just how drug approval works in Australia.
Can Australians Access Retatrutide Through Clinical Trials?
Possibly. Eli Lilly is running Phase 3 trials globally. Some of those trial sites are in Australia.
The TRIUMPH trials are the Phase 3 program for retatrutide. To find active Australian sites, check the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry at anzctr.org.au, or the global database at clinicaltrials.gov and search for retatrutide.
Clinical trial participation is not guaranteed. You need to meet specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Typically that means a BMI above a certain threshold, no history of certain conditions, and willingness to attend regular clinic visits. You also might receive a placebo rather than the active drug.
In my experience looking at how these trials run, the people who get the most out of trial participation are those who treat it as a structured medical program, not just a way to access a drug. The monitoring, the regular check-ins, the dietary guidance, all of that adds up.
If you want to explore this, talk to your GP and ask them to refer you to an endocrinologist or obesity medicine specialist who is connected to trial networks.
How Does Retatrutide Compare to Semaglutide for Weight Loss?
Retatrutide produces more weight loss. That is the direct answer.
Here is the comparison based on available trial data.
- Semaglutide (Wegovy, 2.4mg weekly) produced 14.9% average body weight loss in the STEP 1 trial over 68 weeks.
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, 15mg weekly) produced 20.9% average body weight loss in the SURMOUNT-1 trial over 72 weeks.
- Retatrutide (highest dose tested) produced 24.2% average body weight loss in Phase 2 over 48 weeks.
That 48-week timeframe for retatrutide is shorter than the semaglutide and tirzepatide trials, which makes the comparison even more striking. The rate of weight loss was faster.
What I found interesting in the Phase 2 data was that the weight loss curve had not plateaued by week 48. That suggests the final weight loss with longer treatment could be even higher.
Side effects are similar across all three drugs. Nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal discomfort are the most common, especially in the dose escalation phase. Retatrutide showed a similar side effect profile to tirzepatide in Phase 2.
The glucagon component in retatrutide does raise some questions around muscle mass. Glucagon can be catabolic. What the trials showed was that lean mass loss was proportional to overall weight loss, similar to other GLP-1 drugs. But this is something Phase 3 data needs to confirm more thoroughly.
What Weight Loss Medications Are Currently Available in Australia?
While retatrutide is still in development, there are real options available right now in Australia.
Semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy)
Ozempic is approved in Australia for type 2 diabetes. Wegovy, the higher-dose version specifically approved for weight loss, received TGA approval in 2023. Both contain semaglutide. Wegovy is the one indicated for obesity treatment in people without diabetes.
Supply has been inconsistent. Ozempic shortages have been ongoing because people without diabetes were using it off-label for weight loss, pulling supply away from diabetic patients. The TGA has put restrictions in place to address this.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
Mounjaro received TGA approval in Australia in 2023 for type 2 diabetes. As of early 2025, it is not yet PBS-listed for weight loss, meaning the cost is significant without subsidy. Expect to pay several hundred dollars per month out of pocket.
In my experience, tirzepatide is the closest thing available right now to what retatrutide promises. The dual GLP-1 and GIP mechanism produces strong results, and the Phase 3 data for weight loss is solid.
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Saxenda is a daily injection of liraglutide, approved in Australia for weight management. It produces around 8% average body weight loss, less than semaglutide or tirzepatide. It is an older drug and most specialists now consider it second-line behind semaglutide.
Orlistat (Xenical)
Orlistat blocks fat absorption in the gut. It produces modest weight loss, around 3 to 5% more than placebo. It is available over the counter in Australia. The side effects, oily stools and gastrointestinal urgency, make adherence difficult for many people.
Phentermine
Phentermine is a stimulant-based appetite suppressant. It is approved in Australia for short-term use only, typically up to 12 weeks. It works, but the effects do not persist long-term and it is not suitable for people with cardiovascular conditions.
Should You Wait for Retatrutide or Start Treatment Now?
Start now if you need to. Waiting years for a drug that may or may not be accessible or affordable when it arrives is not a strategy.
What I saw in the data on GLP-1 drugs is that early intervention matters. The longer metabolic dysfunction continues, the harder it becomes to reverse. Tirzepatide is available in Australia right now and produces 20% body weight loss on average. That is a meaningful result.
The other thing worth saying is that medication alone is not the full picture. The people who get the best long-term outcomes from GLP-1 drugs are those who use the appetite suppression window to build better habits around food and movement. The drug creates the conditions. What you do with those conditions determines what happens when you stop taking it.
Working with a structured program, whether that is an online personal trainer, a dietitian, or a supervised medical weight loss program, significantly improves outcomes compared to medication alone. The research on this is consistent. A 2021 study in Obesity found that combining behavioural intervention with pharmacotherapy produced greater weight loss and better maintenance than either approach alone.
FAQ
Can I buy retatrutide online and ship it to Australia?
No. Retatrutide is not approved anywhere in the world yet. Any website claiming to sell it is selling something unverified, potentially dangerous, and illegal to import into Australia. Do not do this.
Will retatrutide be on the PBS when it is approved?
Unknown. PBS listing depends on Eli Lilly applying for it and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommending it. Given how long tirzepatide has taken to get PBS consideration for weight loss, expect a significant wait after TGA approval before PBS listing.
Is retatrutide better than tirzepatide?
Based on Phase 2 data, yes, retatrutide produces more weight loss. But Phase 3 data will give a clearer picture. Tirzepatide has completed Phase 3 and has a strong, well-understood safety profile. Retatrutide does not have that yet.
What should I do right now if I want to lose weight with medication?
See your GP. Ask for a referral to an obesity medicine specialist or endocrinologist. Discuss whether semaglutide or tirzepatide is appropriate for you. Get a structured plan that includes dietary guidance and exercise support alongside any medication.
Does exercise still matter if I am on a GLP-1 drug?
Yes. Resistance training in particular matters more, not less, when on GLP-1 drugs. These medications can cause muscle loss alongside fat loss. Resistance training preserves lean mass, which protects your metabolism long-term. This is one of the most important things people miss when they focus only on the medication side of weight loss.
