Eli Lilly has filed six lawsuits against U.S. entities it says are illegally selling black-market retatrutide, while calling on online platforms, payment companies, shipping providers and regulators to help shut down the trade.
Retatrutide is an investigational medicine in Phase 3 clinical trials for obesity, type 2 diabetes and related indications. No retatrutide-containing medicine has been approved for human use by any regulator worldwide, and Lilly said it cannot legally be sold to consumers.
The lawsuits target alleged sellers including compounding pharmacies, medical spas and online businesses that market retatrutide products as “research-use only,” despite Lilly’s assertion that the products are intended for human use. The company said unapproved retatrutide is often promoted as a weight-loss “hack” by businesses posing as legitimate providers.
Lilly said it has referred more than 200 individuals and entities to FDA, the Department of Justice, state attorneys general, law enforcement agencies and professional licensing boards. The company has also reported more than 14,000 websites, ads, social-media posts and product listings that it says unlawfully market retatrutide in more than 100 countries.
The company urged social-media and e-commerce platforms to proactively block illegal sales and misleading content before it reaches consumers. It also called on credit-card companies, payment processors and shipping and logistics providers to cut off the infrastructure used by illegal sellers.
Lilly said regulators, customs agencies and law-enforcement authorities should prioritize enforcement against unapproved retatrutide sales and coordinate across borders to dismantle criminal networks. The company also urged health care providers to make patients aware of potential risks and encouraged the public to report unlawful products.
“Retatrutide is being rigorously studied as part of a comprehensive clinical trial development program,” David Hyman, Lilly’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. He said products sold on the black market are unverified and unapproved.
The six cases name Aesthetic Envy Cosmetic Centers, Astra Peptides, Legendary Peptides, Striker Pharmacy, Texas Peptides and Lone Star Peptide as defendants. Lilly said FDA has warned that unapproved drugs sold for human use can pose significant patient risks and are illegal.
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