Lilly sues six companies selling unauthorised retatrutide, which is not yet approved

Eli Lilly/Retatrutide

Lilly filed six lawsuits against sellers it says are illegally marketing retatrutide, its experimental weekly obesity injection that no regulator has approved. Lilly says the sellers label their products 'research use only' while selling them for people to inject. The suits target a grey market that has grown on the back of strong trial results.

• Defendants: Aesthetic Envy Cosmetic Centers, Astra, Legendary Peptides, Striker Pharmacy, Texas Peptides and Lone Star Peptide — a mix of a compounding pharmacy, med spas and online sellers.
• Retatrutide hits three hormone receptors (GIP, GLP-1, glucagon) and is still in Phase 3; Lilly plans to file for approval in the first quarter of 2027.
• Lilly says it has reported more than 200 people or entities to the FDA, Justice Department and state attorneys general, and over 14,000 websites, ads and posts to internet providers.
• Risk to buyers: nothing guarantees these products contain what they claim, at the stated dose, or are sterile.