How many units / retatrutide / not FDA-approved
How Many Units Is 9 mg of Retatrutide?
9 mg is a dose used in clinical trials of retatrutide. The math is: divide 9 mg by a worked-example strength in mg per mL, then multiply by 100 to get units on a U-100 insulin syringe. At a made-up strength of 5 mg/mL, the result would be more than a 1 mL syringe holds. At 10 mg/mL it’s 90 units, and at 20 mg/mL it’s 45 units. These numbers show why you can’t do the math without knowing the strength, but they don’t describe an approved product. Retatrutide is still being studied and is not FDA-approved and not yet submitted for approval in the United States (as of September 28, 2026). The FDA has warned about products marked “research use only” that are sold with dosing instructions. The TRIUMPH studies used 9 mg as the target dose in some study groups. This page only explains published trial doses and syringe math. It doesn’t suggest retatrutide is available for personal use.
Last updated
| Strength (mg per mL) | Liquid | Units on a U-100 insulin syringe | On a 1 mL syringe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg/mL | 1.8 mL | 180 | more than a 1 mL syringe holds |
| 10 mg/mL | 0.9 mL | 90 | right on a line |
| 20 mg/mL | 0.45 mL | 45 | falls between two lines if your syringe has a line every 2 units |
A U-40 or other syringe would give a different draw for this 9 mg Retatrutide example.
This page answers the 9 mg Retatrutide example; use the strength printed on your label.
Your numbers
Syringe size and line spacing
The syringe's barrel or packaging says 0.3 mL, 0.5 mL or 1 mL (or 30, 50 or 100 units).
Where 9 mg fits in the trials
In TRIUMPH-1 and TRIUMPH-2, the study groups aiming for 9 mg stepped up every 4 weeks: 2, then 4, then 6, then 9 mg. TRIUMPH-3 and TRIUMPH-4 also have groups with a 9 mg target. The target was reached after the earlier trial steps. This is background from the trials only.
Brand-name products
No brand-name product gives this amount. For retatrutide, that’s expected. It is still being studied, is not FDA-approved, and has no approved product.
Questions about 9 mg
Is 9 mg an approved retatrutide dose?
No. This page uses 9 mg, a dose from published clinical trials, only as an example for U-100 insulin syringe math. It is not part of any approved schedule.
How many units is 9 mg at the example strength?
At 20 mg/mL, 9 mg is 45 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. Whether that can be read exactly depends on the lines printed on the syringe.
Related guides
The basics behind this answer, then the calculator for your own vial.
Sources
The medical and device facts on this page come from these sources. Each entry shows the date we accessed it.
- 01 Retatrutide in the TRIUMPH-1 obesity trial · Eli Lilly and Company, 05/21/2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 02 Retatrutide in the TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3 trials · Eli Lilly and Company, 07/23/2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 03 Retatrutide in the TRIUMPH-4 knee osteoarthritis trial · Eli Lilly and Company, 12/11/2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 04 FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss · U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10/01/2026. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- 05 Technical Data Sheet – Insulin Syringes · embecta, Rev B, 12/2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 06 Injection technique guide · embecta, ©2025, EMB-05148. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 07 Getting Started booklet · embecta, ©2023. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 08 SafetyGlide Insulin Syringes quick reference guide · embecta. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- 09 ISO 8537:2016, sterile single-use insulin syringes · International Organization for Standardization, 2016. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Medically reviewed by Ashley Alexis, NDLast reviewed How we review