NOVALYTELABS
COMPOUND COMPARISON

Retatrutide vs Semaglutide

Three receptors against one — the widest mechanistic gap in the GLP-1 class.

The short answer: Semaglutide acts on GLP-1 alone; retatrutide adds GIP and glucagon.

Side by side

PropertyRetatrutideSemaglutide
Research categoryMetabolic ResearchMetabolic Research
Presentation4mg × 4 pens0.25mg × 4 pens
Dosage options4mg × 4 pens · 8mg × 4 pens · 12mg × 4 pens0.25mg × 4 pens · 1mg × 4 pens · 2.4mg × 4 pens
Approved medicine using itNone — investigationalOzempic® · Wegovy®
AvailabilityIn stockIn stock
Batch COASupplied with orderSupplied with order
From€357.90€292.90

How they differ

Semaglutide is a single-receptor agonist: it targets GLP-1 and nothing else. Retatrutide targets GLP-1, GIP and the glucagon receptor. This is the largest mechanistic difference between any two compounds in this catalogue.

The practical consequence for research design is that semaglutide isolates one pathway cleanly, which makes it the more common reference compound. Retatrutide combines three, which complicates attributing an observed effect to any single receptor.

Semaglutide is the active compound in Ozempic and Wegovy and has years of published trial data behind it. Retatrutide is still in trials and has no approved formulation.

For research use only. Not for human consumption, diagnostic, therapeutic or veterinary use. Brand names are trademarks of their respective owners and are referenced only to identify the active compound — no affiliation or equivalence is claimed.