Molecular Architecture
Engineering triple agonism: peptide sequence, acylation, and binding affinities
Engineered Precision
Retatrutide is not a natural peptide -- it is a 39-amino-acid chain designed from scratch by Eli Lilly's medicinal chemistry team. Every residue was chosen to activate three different receptor families simultaneously while a C20 fatty acid tail anchors it to albumin for once-weekly dosing. In this unit you'll see exactly how this molecular engineering translates into receptor-level potency.
Amino Acid Sequence
The 39-residue chain and key positions that determine receptor selectivity.
Fatty Acid Acylation
How a C20 fatty acid chain enables once-weekly dosing through albumin binding.
Receptor Binding Affinities
EC50 values at GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors compared to native ligands.
vs Tirzepatide & Semaglutide
Structural differences that explain the shift from mono to dual to triple agonism.