Home / Health / Lilly sues over illicit weight-drug
Lilly sues over illicit weight-drug
12 Aug
Summary
- Eli Lilly filed six lawsuits against companies selling unapproved retatrutide.
- The experimental weight-loss drug is in clinical trials, not FDA approved.
- Illicit retatrutide is being sold by online vendors, med spas, and convenience stores.
Eli Lilly announced on Wednesday that it has filed six lawsuits targeting companies illegally selling versions of its experimental weight-loss drug, retatrutide. This action signifies the start of a comprehensive effort to address a significant illicit market that has developed around the drug, even while it remains in clinical trials and awaits FDA approval.
These lawsuits are directed at various entities, including online peptide vendors, a med spa, and compounding pharmacies, all accused of distributing imitation retatrutide. Companies like Astra Peptides and Aesthetic Envy are among those named. Eli Lilly is urging greater collaboration from regulators, social media platforms, and payment processors to combat these unauthorized sales, which are often supplied by overseas manufacturers.
Retatrutide has shown exceptional promise in late-stage clinical trials for obesity and type 2 diabetes, with Eli Lilly planning to seek regulatory approval by early 2027. Despite its potential blockbuster status, concerns about the burgeoning illegal market persist, with instances of the drug being openly advertised and sold in convenience stores and bodegas, particularly in areas like Brooklyn.
