VK2735 vs Tirzepatide & Retatrutide
The peer-reviewed VENTURE trial, lined up beside tirzepatide and retatrutide - and why the viral “it wins” comparison doesn’t hold up once you check the trial lengths.
How It Works
VK2735 activates both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors - the same two-hormone approach as tirzepatide. Retatrutide adds a third target, the glucagon receptor, making it a triple agonist.
The VENTURE trial tested weekly subcutaneous VK2735. Viking is also developing an oral tablet form, but the peer-reviewed weight-loss data so far is from the injectable.
VENTURE ran only 13 weeks. Incretin weight curves are still descending at three months, so a 13-week number cannot be equated to tirzepatide’s 72-week or retatrutide’s 48-week endpoint.
Like every drug in this class, VK2735’s most common adverse events were gastrointestinal. They decreased in reported frequency after dose titration to steady state - not “near-placebo.”
What the Data Shows
Key Takeaways
- In the peer-reviewed 13-week VENTURE Phase 2 trial, weekly subcutaneous VK2735 produced mean weight loss of 9.1% (2.5 mg) up to 14.7% (15 mg), versus 1.7% for placebo.
- 93% of participants on active VK2735 lost at least 5% of body weight, compared with 12% on placebo.
- VK2735 is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist - the same receptor pair targeted by tirzepatide.
- Tirzepatide reached 20.9% mean weight loss at 72 weeks (15 mg) in the SURMOUNT-1 Phase 3 trial.
- Retatrutide, a triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon agonist, reached 24.2% mean weight loss at 48 weeks (12 mg) in its Phase 2 trial.
- VK2735’s adverse events were mainly gastrointestinal and decreased in frequency after dose titration to steady state.
- No head-to-head trial has compared VK2735 with tirzepatide or retatrutide - every cross-drug figure here comes from separate studies with different designs and durations.
- VK2735’s published result is from 13 weeks; tirzepatide’s is 72 weeks and retatrutide’s is 48 weeks. Incretin weight curves are still falling at 13 weeks, so the numbers are not directly comparable.
- Widely shared “17.5 mg / ~22% / week-33” figures for VK2735 are not in the peer-reviewed VENTURE publication; longer, higher-dose, and any head-to-head data have not yet been peer-reviewed.
- The peer-reviewed trial did not show “near-placebo” tolerability - gastrointestinal events were the most common adverse events, though they eased after titration.
- VENTURE excluded people with diabetes, so its results do not speak to blood-glucose or diabetes outcomes.
- Long-term efficacy, safety, and durability of VK2735 remain unknown pending Phase 3 trials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VK2735 better than tirzepatide?
There is no head-to-head trial, so this cannot be answered yet. VK2735’s peer-reviewed VENTURE result - 14.7% mean weight loss at the top 15 mg dose - came from just 13 weeks, while tirzepatide’s 20.9% came from 72 weeks. Comparing the two directly is not scientifically valid until a head-to-head study reads out.
How much weight did people lose on VK2735?
In the 13-week VENTURE Phase 2 trial, weekly subcutaneous VK2735 produced 9.1% to 14.7% mean weight loss across doses (2.5-15 mg), versus 1.7% on placebo. 93% of treated participants lost at least 5% of their body weight.
Does VK2735 cause fewer side effects than tirzepatide?
The published VENTURE trial reported mainly gastrointestinal adverse events that decreased after dose titration - not the “near-placebo” tolerability sometimes claimed online. No trial has directly compared VK2735’s side-effect rates with tirzepatide’s.
What is the difference between VK2735, tirzepatide and retatrutide?
VK2735 and tirzepatide are dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists. Retatrutide adds a third target, the glucagon receptor, making it a triple agonist. In separate trials, retatrutide showed the largest weight loss (24.2% at 48 weeks), but no study has compared the three directly.
Is VK2735 approved or available?
No. VK2735 is an investigational Viking Therapeutics compound still in clinical trials. It is not FDA-approved and is not sold as a prescription weight-loss drug. This page is educational information only, not medical advice.
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Educational purposes only. Not medical advice.
VK2735 is an investigational drug not approved by the FDA; nothing here is a recommendation to obtain or use it.
Cross-trial comparisons on this page are illustrative only - no head-to-head study of these drugs exists.