THE COMPOUND
Triple Agonist Peptides — Retatrutide in Context
"Triple agonist" describes how many receptors a molecule engages, and in current research it points at one compound in particular.
Incretin research progressed by addition. First came molecules engaging the GLP-1 receptor alone. Then dual agonists added GIP, a second incretin receptor — tirzepatide is the documented example. Triple agonists add glucagon receptor activity as a third arm, and retatrutide (LY3437943) is the compound that name usually means.
The glucagon arm is what makes the third receptor interesting to researchers rather than merely additional: glucagon signalling is not simply the opposite of insulin signalling, and its role in energy expenditure is a live research question in its own right.
"Triple" is not a grade. It is a description of receptor coverage, and a broader pharmacology means more variables in a study, not automatically a better one. Which compound suits a research question depends on the question.
We hold both, as lyophilised research vials with third-party HPLC and MS verification and a Certificate of Analysis per production batch, in stock in Johannesburg.
Side by side
Receptors engaged
Tirzepatide — GIP + GLP-1 (dual)
Retatrutide — GIP + GLP-1 + glucagon (triple)
Designation
LY3298176
LY3437943
Literature depth
The larger and longer-running body of published work
Newer, and the reason the category is being revisited
Held in stock
10 mg and 30 mg research vials
30 mg and 60 mg research vials
What we hold in stock
Read live from inventory. Supplied for laboratory research purposes only.
Retatrutide
LY3437943 (GLP-1/GIP/Glucagon Receptor Triagonist)
Tirzepatide
LY3298176 (GIP/GLP-1 Receptor Dual Agonist)
Buying quantity? Trade pricing is 25% off from 10 vials — build and price an order in the browser.
Also searched as
These are the short forms, spellings and code designations people use for the same thing. They are listed so the terminology is unambiguous, not because any of them names a different product.
Questions
What is a triple agonist peptide?
A molecule engineered to bind three receptors — the GLP-1 and GIP incretin receptors plus the glucagon receptor. Retatrutide, designated LY3437943, is the compound the term usually refers to in current research.
Is a triple agonist better than a dual agonist?
That is not a question the term answers. It describes receptor coverage, not quality or potency, and a broader pharmacology introduces more variables into a study rather than fewer. Tirzepatide has the deeper published literature; retatrutide is the newer molecule.
Do you stock retatrutide in South Africa?
Yes — as lyophilised research vials in two sizes, held in Johannesburg, with live stock counts and a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis. Supplied for laboratory research purposes only.
Read next
Every compound we supply is sold strictly for laboratory research purposes only. Not for human or veterinary use, not a medicine, and not registered with SAHPRA. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a dosing instruction or a claim of any outcome.