In short: No new weight-loss medicine was approved between mid-September and October 5, 2026, but a lot happened around the edges. New trial results for three investigational treatments (retatrutide, CagriSema and a combination called EloraTZP) were presented at the European diabetes meeting (EASD); the FDA announced charges in a counterfeit Ozempic case and warned about a weight-loss product with a hidden drug; and Medicare open enrollment starts October 15. Here is what each item means, and what it does not.
We check every item against a primary source: the FDA, DailyMed, CMS, journals or ClinicalTrials.gov. Company press releases are labeled “company-reported”. Nothing here is advice for your own treatment; bring questions to your clinician. Earlier coverage lives in our research and news section.
This month in numbers
- -18.8%top-dose average weight change with investigational retatrutide in TRIUMPH-2 (adults with type 2 diabetes, 80 weeks)Bellido V et al., Lancet 2026
- 367adults in the Phase 2b EloraTZP trial reported on September 30 (company-reported)Eli Lilly
- Q4 2026when Novo Nordisk expects the FDA decision on CagriSemaNovo Nordisk
- $50Medicare GLP-1 Bridge copay, available through December 31, 2027CMS
Checked on October 6, 2026
Approvals and regulatory
LABEL CHANGE: Zepbound and Foundayo labels updated. The current Zepbound label on DailyMed (revised August 2026) was published on September 2, and the Foundayo label (published August 13) follows an FDA-approved Medication Guide update on August 4. Our medication pages are checked against these versions. Labels change for many reasons, from wording to new safety information, and our records note the version we read.
PENDING: CagriSema. Novo Nordisk filed CagriSema (cagrilintide plus semaglutide) with the FDA in December 2025 and said on September 30 that it still expects a decision in the fourth quarter of 2026. It is not approved; our CagriSema explainer covers the trials, including the head-to-head trial in which it did not match tirzepatide.
COMPOUNDING: FDA guidance updated October 1. The FDA refreshed its page on concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs. Its message is unchanged: compounded drugs are not FDA approved, and the semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages ended in 2025 and 2024. Its April 2026 proposal to exclude semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the list of bulk ingredients that outsourcing facilities may use was still a proposal when we checked. Background: compounded GLP-1s.
New studies
INVESTIGATIONAL: Retatrutide in type 2 diabetes (TRIUMPH-2). Published in The Lancet and presented at EASD, this trial gave 1,152 adults with type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 27 or more one of three doses of retatrutide, a weekly injection that acts on GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, or placebo. Average weight change, counting everyone randomized, was -11.9%, -16.8% and -18.8% by dose vs -5.1% with placebo. Lilly reported that HbA1c fell by up to 1.6 points. What it means: retatrutide’s results hold up in people with diabetes, who usually lose less weight. What it doesn’t: retatrutide is not approved; Lilly says it plans to submit it to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Placebo | 5.1% |
| Retatrutide low dose | 11.9% |
| Retatrutide middle dose | 16.8% |
| Retatrutide high dose | 18.8% |
Percent of body weight lost; treatment-regimen estimand. Investigational drug, not FDA approved.
Source: Bellido V et al., Lancet 2026 (TRIUMPH-2) (checked on October 6, 2026)
INVESTIGATIONAL: EloraTZP, an amylin plus tirzepatide combination (company-reported). Lilly reported a 48-week Phase 2b trial in 367 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. The highest combination (eloralintide 9 mg with tirzepatide 15 mg) averaged -23.3% vs -14.8% with tirzepatide 15 mg alone and -3.0% with placebo, under an estimate that assumes everyone stayed on treatment. Stopping because of side effects ranged from 10.8% to 27.0% across combination arms vs 2.9% with tirzepatide alone. What it means: adding an amylin drug to tirzepatide added weight loss in this study. What it doesn’t: it is a mid-stage trial; Lilly plans Phase 3 by the end of 2026.
INVESTIGATIONAL: CagriSema data at EASD (company-reported). Novo Nordisk presented a 52-week brain-imaging study linking CagriSema to changed responses to high-calorie food cues, plus body-fat, organ-fat and bone findings from its REIMAGINE diabetes trials. Full papers were not yet published.
STUDY: Foundayo in type 2 diabetes (company-reported). Lilly said ACHIEVE-4 showed Foundayo was non-inferior to insulin glargine, with a 16% lower risk of a combined measure of heart and stroke events (MACE-4). Foundayo is approved for weight management; type 2 diabetes is still an investigational use. See orforglipron for the molecule.
How to read this month’s trial numbers
Three things make conference headlines look more alike than they are. First, the estimand: TRIUMPH-2 counts everyone who was randomized (a “treatment-regimen” estimate), while the EloraTZP numbers assume everyone stayed on treatment (an “efficacy” estimate), which gives larger figures. Second, the population: all three September studies we covered were in people with type 2 diabetes, who usually lose less weight on these medicines than people without diabetes. Third, the stage: TRIUMPH-2 is a Phase 3 trial published in a peer-reviewed journal, while EloraTZP is a mid-stage Phase 2b study announced by the company. None of these numbers can be compared directly with each other or with an approved medicine’s label.
For scale only: in their own placebo-controlled trials in people without diabetes, Wegovy averaged -14.9% at 68 weeks (STEP 1) and Zepbound 15 mg -20.9% at 72 weeks (SURMOUNT-1). Our Wegovy vs Zepbound page explains the one head-to-head trial between approved medicines.
Where the approved options stand
| Group | Approved for weight (October 6, 2026) | What changed this month |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 injections | Wegovy, Wegovy HD, Zepbound | Zepbound label version updated on DailyMed (September 2) |
| Daily GLP-1 pills | Wegovy tablets, Foundayo | Foundayo diabetes data reported; diabetes use still investigational |
| Daily injections | Saxenda and generic liraglutide; Imcivree (rare conditions) | No change found |
| Other pills | Qsymia, Contrave, orlistat (Xenical, Alli), short-term phentermine | No change found |
| Under FDA review | None approved: CagriSema pending | Decision still expected in Q4 2026 (company) |
Safety alerts
SAFETY ALERT: Counterfeit Ozempic case. On September 29, the FDA announced that its investigation led to charges against two Indian nationals accused of distributing counterfeit Ozempic obtained from unauthorized sources in China between July 2023 and April 2024, with fake packaging, inserts, pen labels and needles. The FDA has issued public alerts about counterfeit Ozempic since December 2023.
SAFETY ALERT: Hidden sibutramine in a weight-loss product. On September 15, the FDA warned consumers not to buy or use LUZE Fit Intensity, promoted for weight loss online and possibly in stores, because it contains sibutramine, a drug not listed on the label. The FDA says sibutramine can significantly raise blood pressure or heart rate, a serious risk for people with heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat or stroke. Sibutramine was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2010. Our supplements guide explains why products sold as supplements are not FDA approved.
Prices and coverage
PRICE/COVERAGE: Medicare open enrollment, October 15 to December 7. This is when people with Medicare can change plans for 2027. Separately, the CMS Medicare GLP-1 Bridge (July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027) offers Wegovy (injection and tablets), Zepbound KwikPen and Foundayo for weight management for a $50 copay to people who meet its criteria. Our insurance guide explains the criteria in plain words.
PRICE/COVERAGE: Self-pay prices as of October 6. NovoCare Pharmacy lists Wegovy pens at $349 a month ($199 for the first two fills of the lowest doses for new patients through December 31), Wegovy HD at $399 and Wegovy tablets at $149 to $299. Lilly lists Zepbound KwikPen at $299 to $449 and Foundayo at $149 to $349, by dose. Novo has also announced that Wegovy’s list price will drop to $675 a month from January 1, 2027. Details: cost hub and Wegovy cost.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Foundayo | $149 | $349 |
| Wegovy pens | $199 | $349 |
| Wegovy HD | $399 | $399 |
| Wegovy tablets | $149 | $299 |
| Zepbound KwikPen | $299 | $449 |
Ranges are by strength. Prescription required; offers often exclude government insurance. Prices change; confirm before you plan.
Source: NovoCare Pharmacy; Lilly Zepbound and Foundayo savings pages (checked on October 6, 2026)
Industry and pipeline
INDUSTRY: Novo licenses a once-weekly oral candidate. On September 29, Novo Nordisk announced an exclusive license to HRS-1596, a GLP-1/GIP dual receptor agonist from Hengrui Pharma designed as a once-weekly pill, for up to $2.6 billion including $300 million upfront. It is ready for Phase 1 trials, so any approval would be years away. Weekly pills would differ from today’s daily options; our oral GLP-1 guide explains the approved ones.
What we updated on InstaTuck
- New: every FDA-approved weight-loss medication compared, with statuses checked on DailyMed on October 6.
- New: 40 ways to lose weight compared by evidence, cost and effort.
- New: telehealth weight-loss programs compared, not ranked, with dated prices.
- New: questions to ask before starting a GLP-1, with a printable checklist.
- Checked: medication pages against the current labels, including Wegovy and Zepbound.
What’s coming next
| When | What to watch | Status |
|---|---|---|
| October 15 to December 7 | Medicare open enrollment for 2027 plans | Scheduled (Medicare.gov) |
| November 14 to 17 | ObesityWeek 2026, National Harbor, Maryland: new trial results often appear here | Scheduled |
| November 2026 | TRIUMPH-5, retatrutide vs tirzepatide head-to-head: primary completion listed for this month | Results timing set by Lilly |
| Q4 2026 | FDA decision on CagriSema expected | Company expectation |
| Q1 2027 | Lilly’s planned FDA submission for retatrutide | Company plan |
| January 1, 2027 | Wegovy list price set to drop to $675 a month | Company announcement |
Looking for the bigger picture? Our what’s new in weight loss in 2026 piece sorts this year’s changes into proven, promising and hype, and the emerging medications page tracks every investigational candidate. For the approved options and how they work, start at the medications hub or the GLP-1 guide.