Dr. Aboud Bakri, MD, recently provided insights into retatrutide during a discussion about peptides and PEDs with podcast host Brendan.
According to Dr. Bakri, retatrutide represents the latest evolution in GLP-1 agonist medications. “Retatrutide is not FDA approved yet,” he explained, noting that this builds upon previous generations of weight loss d**gs.
Bakri emphasized that retatrutide shows superior results compared to earlier medications. “Retatrutide is very very effective at fat loss. Much more effective than semaglutide or tirzepatide and way less side effects,” he stated.
The reduced side effect profile represents a major advancement. While users of Ozempic “would be miserable, nauseous, they can’t they just feel,” retatrutide appears to avoid many of these issues.
Perhaps most remarkably, Dr. Bakri noted an unexpected benefit: “People are noticing that they’re even taking it while they’re bulking. Retatrutide, because they’re able to partition more nutrients into the muscle instead of into the fat.”
Despite not having FDA approval, retatrutide has already entered the marketplace through alternative channels.
Dr. Bakri explained the underground market dynamics: “Research companies, these are companies that say not for human consumption, research only. They get retatrutide from China. Everything comes from China. They package in the United States. Lyophilize it. Put it in vials and sell it to people online as long as you check. Like this is not for human consumption.”
He acknowledged that the regulations are shifting: “The FDA is looking closely at regulating this. But there’s like thousands of websites now. And every TikTok influencer is pushing you on a different website.”
The medication is expected to receive FDA approval “sometime in mid 2026,” according to Dr. Bakri.
While Dr. Bakri has prescribed GLP-1s to appropriate patients, he expressed serious concerns about young people using retatrutide.
“My bigger question is why is a 19-year-old even obese?” he stated bluntly.
He shared a success story to illustrate proper use: a 65-year-old patient who needed knee replacements but couldn’t get surgery at 300 pounds (136 kg). Using a GLP-1 combined with nutrition and exercise programs,
“This guy lost 100 pounds (45 kg). He comes to me in clinic. He’s like, ‘Doc, I don’t even want the knee replacement anymore. My knees feel so good.'”
However, Dr. Bakri stressed that such interventions should be “under clinical supervision, it should be with a very smart clinical team that includes diet exercise mental wellness all these things it shouldn’t just be the GLP1 alone.”
Dr. Bakri raised several red flags about young people starting these medications. “What happens when you stop taking the d**g. Most people stop abruptly. We don’t have good research on titration mechanisms,” he noted.
The risk of dependence particularly worried him: “I’m worried that they’re going to desensitize the GLP-1 receptors. So that now when they come off, they’re going to have crazy high appetite and be eating like crazy and we we’ve seen it like I’ve seen patients they jump off the GLP-1 three months later they’ve regained all the weight.”
He emphasized that young people should not need these interventions: “I don’t think it’s the smartest thing in the world for a 19-year-old to even be in that situation. Like why are we as a society like they’re even trying to approve them for kids like like young kids getting on GLP-1s? Like we’re talking about 12-year-olds on on Ozempic. Like stop there.”
