Mazdutide is a once-weekly injectable dual agonist at the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, approved in China for weight management and type 2 diabetes. In phase 3 trials it produced mean weight loss of around 12% at 4 mg and 15% at 6 mg over 48 weeks, rising to roughly 19% at the higher 9 mg dose over 60 weeks. It is not approved in the United States or Europe.
What makes mazdutide interesting is the second receptor. Most of the class works through GLP-1 alone or GLP-1 with GIP. Adding glucagon receptor activity brings in a different mechanism, one that acts on energy expenditure and liver fat rather than only on appetite.
How the Glucagon Component Changes Things
Glucagon has a reputation as the hormone that raises blood sugar, which makes it a counterintuitive addition to a diabetes drug. The reason it works is that glucagon receptor activation also increases energy expenditure and drives hepatic fat mobilisation, and the GLP-1 component offsets the glucose effect.
The most striking result from that combination is in the liver. In phase 3 work, participants who started with high liver fat saw reductions of roughly 80% in liver fat content on the 6 mg dose. That is a large effect and it is the clearest evidence that the glucagon arm is doing something the GLP-1 arm alone does not.
For anyone whose interest is metabolic liver disease rather than weight alone, that is the number worth noticing. Our GLP-1 for fatty liver page covers the wider picture.
What the Trials Showed
| Trial | Dose | Duration | Mean weight loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLORY-1 (obesity) | 4 mg | 48 weeks | About 12.0% |
| GLORY-1 (obesity) | 6 mg | 48 weeks | About 14.8% |
| GLORY-2 (obesity) | 9 mg | 60 weeks | About 18.6% overall |
| GLORY-2 (obesity, without type 2 diabetes) | 9 mg | 60 weeks | About 20.1% |
| DREAMS-3 (type 2 diabetes) | 6 mg vs semaglutide 1 mg | 32 weeks | Favoured mazdutide on the combined endpoint |
Placebo weight loss in GLORY-1 was around 0.5%, so the treatment effect is essentially the full figure. Roughly half of participants on 6 mg lost at least 15% of body weight, against about 2% on placebo. Waist circumference fell by about 11 cm on the 6 mg dose.
Two caveats worth holding. The trials were conducted in Chinese populations, and average starting weight and BMI were lower than in the Western obesity trials, which affects how directly the percentages transfer. And the GLORY-2 results at 9 mg reportedly had not plateaued by the end of the study, which is interesting and also means the ceiling is unknown.
Dosing
| Setting | Doses | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| China label, weight management | 4 mg and 6 mg | Once weekly, reached after a two-step titration |
| GLORY-2 investigational | 9 mg | Once weekly, two-step titration over 60 weeks |
The two-step titration is notably shorter than the four or five step escalations used with semaglutide and tirzepatide. Whether that is tolerable in practice for most people is a fair question, since slow titration is the main tool for managing nausea across this class.
How to Get Mazdutide
This is where the practical answer is unsatisfying.
In China, it is an approved prescription medicine, indicated for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI of 28 or above, or 24 or above with a weight-related condition, and separately for type 2 diabetes.
In the United States and Europe, it is not approved. There is no prescription pathway, no pharmacy stock, and no compounded version that would be legitimate.
From research chemical vendors, it is sold, as most GLP-1 molecules now are. That material is not the approved product, is not manufactured to pharmaceutical standards, and carries no assurance about content or sterility. Buying an unapproved injectable that requires 48 weeks of correct titration to work as intended, without a prescriber, is a poor trade even by the standards of this market.
Through a trial, if a study is recruiting in your region, which for a compound developed primarily for the Chinese market is unlikely outside Asia.
Our how to get GLP-1 prescription page covers the legitimate routes to the drugs that are approved where you live.
How It Compares
| Drug | Receptors | Peak trial weight loss | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazdutide | GLP-1 and glucagon | About 20% at 9 mg over 60 weeks | China only |
| Semaglutide | GLP-1 | About 15% at 2.4 mg | Widely approved |
| Tirzepatide | GLP-1 and GIP | About 21% at 15 mg | Widely approved |
| Retatrutide | GLP-1, GIP and glucagon | About 24% at 12 mg | Investigational |
On efficacy, mazdutide at its highest studied dose sits alongside tirzepatide and below retatrutide. On availability, it is behind both of the approved options for anyone outside China. Our mazdutide vs retatrutide comparison goes further into the two glucagon-containing agents.
Side Effects
The profile is what the class produces: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, concentrated during titration. The glucagon component adds a theoretical consideration around heart rate and blood pressure, which is monitored across this drug class generally.
Because glucagon raises glucose in isolation, glycaemic outcomes are the thing to watch in a dual agonist, and the trial data in diabetes was favourable enough for the drug to be approved in that indication in China.
FAQ
Is mazdutide approved in the US?
No. It is approved in China for weight management and type 2 diabetes and has no approval in the United States or Europe. There is no legitimate prescription route for it outside the markets where it is licensed.
How much weight loss does mazdutide produce?
Around 12% at 4 mg and 15% at 6 mg over 48 weeks, and about 19% overall at 9 mg over 60 weeks, rising to roughly 20% in participants without type 2 diabetes. Placebo weight loss in the same trials was around 0.5%.
How is mazdutide different from semaglutide?
Semaglutide acts on the GLP-1 receptor alone. Mazdutide adds glucagon receptor activity, which contributes energy expenditure and liver fat effects on top of appetite reduction. In a head-to-head diabetes trial, mazdutide 6 mg outperformed semaglutide 1 mg on a combined glucose and weight endpoint.
Is mazdutide better than tirzepatide?
They have not been compared directly. At their highest studied doses the weight loss figures are broadly similar, though the trial populations differ enough that the percentages are not strictly comparable. Tirzepatide is approved and available in Western markets, which for most people is the decisive difference.
Can I buy mazdutide online?
It is sold by research chemical vendors, and that material is not the approved medicine. It carries no assurance of identity, dose accuracy or sterility, and correct use requires a titration schedule spanning many months. This is a poor compound to source informally.
