Lexaria Bioscience, a Kelowna, British Columbia company, reported improved absorption of oral retatrutide formulations in a company-sponsored animal study announced August 24, 2026. The release concerns a drug-delivery technology experiment—not a clinical trial of Eli Lilly’s investigational retatrutide, and not evidence that an oral retatrutide product is available.
What the study tested
Lexaria said its 2026 Animal Study #2 examined oral delivery of retatrutide and amycretin in dogs across 18 study arms. Researchers compared an earlier DehydraTECH GLP-1 2.0 (DHT2.0) formulation with newer DehydraTECH 3.0 (DHT3.0) tablet and capsule formulations. Some formulations also used sodium caprate or salcaprozate sodium (SNAC), absorption-enhancing compounds used in the development of oral peptide medicines.
For retatrutide, Lexaria reported that all three DHT3.0 tablet formulations and all three DHT3.0 capsule formulations produced higher dose-normalized exposure than their respective DHT2.0 reference formulations. The best-performing tablet, labelled ALT 2 DHT3.0, had an area-under-the-curve result of 372.37 hour·nanograms per millilitre per milligram per kilogram, compared with 8.18 for the DHT2.0 reference tablet. Lexaria calculated that difference as a 4,552.20% increase relative to that reference.
The capsule results were more modest in absolute terms but still higher than the reference capsule: the two leading DHT3.0 capsule formulations each had reported absolute bioavailability of 0.26%, compared with 0.06% for the DHT2.0 reference capsule. Absolute bioavailability is the proportion of a dose that reaches systemic circulation, estimated here by comparison with intravenous retatrutide.
Those figures are preliminary pharmacokinetic observations from dogs. They do not show that the formulation produces weight loss, improves blood sugar, or is safe in people. The company itself says the results may reflect the unusually low absorption of the reference tablet and that reproducibility remains unknown.
Why an oral version would matter
Retatrutide is currently being developed as a once-weekly injectable triple agonist targeting GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors. An effective oral formulation could eventually make administration easier, but peptide drugs are difficult to deliver by mouth because digestion and the intestinal barrier limit absorption. A formulation that improves exposure in an animal model could therefore be a useful research lead.
It is still a long way from a medicine. The release describes no human pharmacokinetic data, randomized clinical outcomes, manufacturing approval, or regulatory submission for an oral retatrutide product. Lexaria’s own release says that extensive human studies would be required to validate the finding.
Canadian context
The Canadian connection is unusually direct: Lexaria is headquartered in Kelowna, B.C. However, a Canadian company reporting a promising preclinical delivery result does not change retatrutide’s regulatory status. Retatrutide remains investigational and is not approved for sale by Health Canada. No oral retatrutide tablet or capsule from Lexaria, Eli Lilly, or another legitimate manufacturer is available through Canadian pharmacies.
Canadians should not interpret online claims about “oral retatrutide” or research-peptide capsules as participation in this study. Products sold outside an authorized clinical trial may contain the wrong ingredient, an inaccurate strength, contaminants, or no retatrutide at all. Legitimate access remains limited to an authorized clinical trial or, in exceptional circumstances, a physician-led Health Canada Special Access Programme request; neither pathway involves buying a product online.
Sources
- Lexaria Bioscience: DehydraTECH-enhanced Amycretin and Retatrutide Yield Significant Absorption Improvements in 2026 Animal Study #2 (August 24, 2026)
- Investing News Network: Lexaria 2026 Animal Study #2
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Retatrutide studies
- Health Canada: Special Access Programme
Disclaimer: GetRetatrutide.ca is an independent educational resource. This article does not constitute medical advice. Retatrutide is not approved by Health Canada or the FDA.