← Journal·What we readReferences paid reports

We read 14 new studies this week. Three change something.

Tirzepatide vs Sema head-to-head update, retatrutide phase 3 readout interim, and a real signal on SS-31 in dry AMD.

Apr 26, 20265 min#weekly#tirzepatide#retatrutide#ss-31

SURMOUNT-5 final readout (NEJM, online 2026-04-22)

Tirzepatide vs semaglutide head-to-head. n=751. 72-week weight loss: tirzepatide 20.2%, sema 13.7%. Tirzepatide wins by ~6.5 percentage points. GI tolerability comparable. Implication: when both are available, tirzepatide is the default. We've updated the Tirzepatide page to reflect this.

TRIUMPH-3 retatrutide phase 3 interim (Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol)

36-week interim: 17.5% weight loss at 8mg, 22.8% at 12mg. Trajectory still declining at week 36 — primary endpoint at week 88 may show even larger numbers. Implication: retatrutide may take the crown when it lands. Watching closely.

ReCLAIM-2 follow-up analysis (Ophthalmol Sci)

SS-31 (elamipretide) missed primary endpoint but the EZ-zone preservation secondary endpoint hit. Stealth Bio is filing for fast-track in dry AMD. Implication: SS-31's first real human win. We updated the SS-31 page with a corrected ReCLAIM-2 citation and a calmer framing of the readout.

11 other papers reviewed this week — none changed our editorial position.