Eli Lilly files 6 lawsuits against businesses selling ‘black market’ obesity drug
August 13, 202611:03 AM ET
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is studying a new obesity drug called retatrutide. The drug has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but that hasn’t stopped people from selling unapproved versions
And now, Eli Lilly is suing
The company says it has filed six lawsuits against businesses selling what it calls “black market” retatrutide
They include a medical spa chain in California and a compounding pharmacy in Texas. The drug company is also suing companies that sell so-called “research-only” peptides online
Unapproved products may be contaminated, contain too much or too little of the active ingredient, or be counterfeit products that contain none at all
Retatrutide is currently in phase three clinical trials. Because it targets three hormones — GLP-1, GIP and glucagon — it’s more powerful than GLP-1s already on the market
However, since retatrutide isn’t FDA-approved, compounding it, repackaging it or selling its active ingredient to compounders is illegal, the FDA says
An NPR editor adapted these audio reports by Sydney Lupkin
