Eli Lilly Sues 6 Firms Over Illicit Sales of Unapproved Drug
The drugmaker says companies are selling unapproved versions of retatrutide, an experimental weight-loss drug still in clinical trials.
Eli Lilly said Wednesday it is suing six companies for selling versions of its experimental weight-loss drug retatrutide, calling the lawsuits the start of a broader effort to crack down on a growing illicit market for the drug.
Retatrutide is still being studied in clinical trials and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Federal law bars the commercial sale of unapproved drugs, but telehealth firms, clinics and online peptide vendors have been offering it anyway, as promising trial results have fueled demand on social media.
"This is a global problem and it's an enormous one," said Max Denning, an associate vice president at Eli Lilly, who called on regulators, social media companies and payment processors to help stop illicit sales. "Six lawsuits is not going to be the solution to everything, but it is a start," he said.
The lawsuits target Astra Peptides, Legendary Peptides, Texas Peptides and Lone Star Peptide, all of which market the drug "for research use" without a prescription, according to Eli Lilly. Also named are Aesthetic Envy, a California med spa, and Striker Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy previously identified in a June CBS News investigation. None of the companies responded to requests for comment; three took down webpages advertising the drug.
Eli Lilly is running late-stage trials of retatrutide as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes and plans to seek FDA approval in early 2027. In its lawsuits, the company alleges the unapproved versions endanger consumers with unvetted, potentially contaminated substances and could damage the drug's reputation if people have bad reactions.
"Consumers are switching from Lilly's FDA-approved medicines to illegal retatrutide products, citing purported lower costs and perceived superior efficacy," the company said in its lawsuit against Striker Pharmacy.
Wall Street analysts expect retatrutide to be a blockbuster but have raised concerns about the illicit market. CBS News reported last month that convenience stores were advertising and selling vials of research-grade retatrutide, and as of August 8, two Brooklyn bodegas still displayed posters for it.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
