Two phase 2 trials of UBT251, a once-weekly GLP-1, GIP and glucagon triple agonist, are now peer reviewed. Cell Metabolism published the obesity trial on 8 October 2026 and the type 2 diabetes trial on 26 October 2026. In adults with overweight or obesity, body weight fell 13.6% to 19.7% over 24 weeks across the UBT251 arms, against 2.0% on placebo. In type 2 diabetes, HbA1c fell more on UBT251 than on semaglutide 1 mg. Both trials were run in China and sponsored by the developer. Our full UBT251 entry has the dose arms, trial list and sources.
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What was published
| Obesity trial | Type 2 diabetes trial | |
|---|---|---|
| Published | 8 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
| Journal paper | DOI 10.1016/j.cmet.2026.09.021 | DOI 10.1016/j.cmet.2026.10.010 |
| Registry | NCT07177469 | NCT07163624 |
| Participants | 205 adults with overweight or obesity, no diabetes | 211 adults with type 2 diabetes |
| UBT251 arms | 2 mg; 4 mg (0.5 mg start); 4 mg (1 mg start); 6 mg | Same four arms |
| Comparators | Placebo | Placebo and semaglutide 1 mg |
| Schedule | Once weekly injection for 24 weeks | Once weekly injection for 24 weeks |
| Main result | Weight change -19.7% to -13.6% (placebo -2.0%) | HbA1c change -2.16% to -1.98% (semaglutide -1.77%, placebo -0.66%) |
The obesity trial
The placebo-adjusted weight difference ranged from -17.7% to -11.5%, and every comparison against placebo had p < 0.001. Waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar measures also moved in the right direction. The most frequent adverse events were mild-to-moderate stomach and gut symptoms, the usual pattern for this drug class. The abstract does not say which dose gave -19.7% and which gave -13.6%, so a reader cannot yet match a result to an amount.
The type 2 diabetes trial
HbA1c is the standard three-month blood sugar marker. On UBT251 it fell by 2.16% to 1.98% from baseline, against 1.77% on semaglutide 1 mg and 0.66% on placebo. Weight loss on UBT251 was significantly greater than on both comparators (p < 0.05). The abstract says the HbA1c results beat placebo with p < 0.001 and does not state whether each UBT251 arm beat semaglutide on HbA1c with statistical significance. Treat the semaglutide comparison as encouraging and unconfirmed until the phase 3 trial that compares them formally reports.
What these results do not tell us
- All participants were Chinese adults, and both trials ran only 24 weeks. Longer treatment and other populations may behave differently.
- Both trials were sponsored by the developer, and authors include employees of United Laboratories and Novo Nordisk.
- Phase 2 trials are small. They are built to choose doses, not to prove one drug beats another.
- Comparing these numbers with retatrutide or tirzepatide results is unreliable. Populations, trial length and design all differ, and nobody has tested these drugs against each other.
What happens next
ClinicalTrials.gov now lists 14 UBT251 trials. In China, the type 2 diabetes phase 3 trials UNIGUIDE-1 and UNIGUIDE-2 began recruiting in September 2026, and UNIGUIDE-2 is a 956-person test of UBT251 against semaglutide with HbA1c at week 40 as its primary endpoint. An obesity phase 3 (NCT07648225, 600 people, 4 mg and 6 mg arms, week 52 weight endpoint) is registered but still listed as not yet recruiting, along with two sleep apnea phase 3 trials. Novo Nordisk’s own phase 2 trials, in obesity and in type 2 diabetes, are recruiting outside China. UBT251 is not approved anywhere, and the first phase 3 primary completions fall in 2027.
Quick answers
Is there an approved UBT251 dose? No. The only amounts with a source are the 2 mg, 4 mg and 6 mg once-weekly arms used in the trials. Is it the same as retatrutide? No. Both target GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors, but they are separate molecules from different developers.
This article summarizes published research and registry records for education. It is not medical advice.
Sources
- Cell Metabolism obesity trial, 8 October 2026, PMID 42843337.
- Cell Metabolism type 2 diabetes trial, 26 October 2026, PMID 42933400.
- ClinicalTrials.gov, UBT251 records.
Related reading
The first link goes to a commercial research-use-only catalog page. A research-use-only listing is not an approved drug and not a prescription product, and nothing here recommends buying or using it. The next two are articles that look at UBT251 from a research angle, and the last is a plain-English medicine page.
