Episode 258: MariTide: Could the Next Generation of Weight Loss Medications Be Once a Month?

Obesity treatment may be moving beyond weekly injections.

In this episode, I'm taking a closer look at Maritide, an investigational obesity medication that is still being studied and is not FDA approved for the treatment of obesity.

What makes Maritide particularly interesting is that it takes a different approach to the hormonal pathways involved in weight regulation. Unlike tirzepatide, which activates both GLP-1 and GIP receptors, Maritide activates the GLP-1 receptor while blocking the GIP receptor.

I also break down one of its most intriguing possibilities: less frequent dosing. Maritide has been studied with dosing intervals of four and eight weeks, potentially moving obesity treatment beyond the traditional weekly injection.

But does it work?

I walk through the Phase 2 results, including the approximately 12–16% average weight reduction at 52 weeks in participants with obesity without diabetes, as well as the results seen in participants with type 2 diabetes. I also explain why those numbers are promising but still need to be confirmed through larger and longer Phase 3 trials.

Episode Highlights:

What Maritide is and how it works

How Maritide differs from tirzepatide

Why its potential dosing schedule is so interesting

What the Phase 2 weight-loss results showed

Why some participants had not clearly reached a weight-loss plateau at 52 weeks