CT-388_
An experimental weekly weight-loss shot in the tirzepatide family.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is CT-388?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
CT-388 is a dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist, the same two-receptor family as tirzepatide. In plain terms: it works on two appetite-and-blood-sugar signals for weight loss. It is a weekly shot still in trials.
What it's used for
An experimental weekly weight-loss shot in the same family as tirzepatide. It is in testing.
How does CT-388 work?
What it does in the body, and where.CT-388 targets GLP-1 and GIP, the same pair as tirzepatide, with a different molecule.
- 01Both receptors, once a weekAppetite and blood-sugar signalling through two gut hormones at once.
- 02Phase 2 numbers were strongThe topline result at the highest dose was among the larger figures reported in this class.
- 03Investigational, and reported mainly by press releasePeer-reviewed publication is thinner than for the approved drugs, so treat the figures as provisional.
Hits 2 receptors at once.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Weight lossInvestigational
- Type 2 diabetesInvestigational
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.4 up to 24 mg per week (trial doses), weekly. Not cycled in the trialsTrial dose
Given continuously for the whole study period: 48 weeks. The dose is stepped up at the start, which is a ramp rather than a cycle, and no trial in this class built in a planned break.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Your draw
80 / 100 unitsHow do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized CT-388 keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- No formal contraindications established
- Pregnancy
Stop and get help
- Vomiting badly enough that you cannot keep fluids down
- Severe stomach pain that spreads to your back
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Mild to moderate stomach effects, consistent with this drug family
- In Phase 2, about 6% stopped because of side effects against 1% on placebo
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is CT-388 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. Not FDA-approved.
It is still being studied; a regulator has not cleared it for this use.
- DoseFrom published clinical trials. Not approved by a regulator for this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like CT-388?
Others in Weight loss and metabolic, side by side.If you're weighing CT-388, it's worth reading Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Retatrutide in the same class.
An experimental weekly weight-loss shot in the tirzepatide family.
- Dose
- 4 up to 24 mg per week (trial doses)
- How often
- Weekly
The drug in Ozempic and Wegovy: a weekly shot that curbs hunger for steady weight loss.
- Dose
- 0.25 up to 2.4 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Weekly
The drug in Mounjaro and Zepbound: a weekly shot for major weight loss and blood sugar.
- Dose
- 2.5 up to 15 mg per week (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Weekly
An experimental weekly shot with some of the biggest weight-loss numbers yet in trials.
- Dose
- 1 up to 12 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Weekly
10What these words mean
Show glossary +
What these words mean
- Titrate
- Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
- Subcutaneous
- An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
- Intramuscular (IM)
- An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
- Concentration
- How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
- Units (on the syringe)
- The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
- mcg and mg
- Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
- GLP-1
- A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
- Growth hormone secretagogue
- A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
- Half-life
- How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
- Peptide vs small molecule
- A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
- Research only
- No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
- Investigational
- Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
- Banned in drug-tested sport
- Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.
Last reviewed 22 July 2026