Eli Lilly has escalated its legal fight against unauthorised sales of its experimental obesity drug retatrutide, filing six lawsuits against US companies it accuses of selling black-market versions of the drug while it remains under clinical development.
The lawsuits target a range of businesses, including compounding pharmacies, medical spas and online sellers that Lilly alleges marketed retatrutide products to consumers despite the drug not having received regulatory approval.
Retatrutide is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials for obesity, type 2 diabetes and related conditions. No regulator has approved the compound for human use, according to Lilly.
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In June, the US Food and Drug Administration said sales of retatrutide and other unapproved versions of GLP-1 products to consumers are illegal and cannot lawfully be compounded.
Lilly Chief Medical Officer Dr David Hyman said the products being sold on the black market were “entirely unverified” and “unapproved”, warning consumers about the risks associated with taking them.
Demand for obesity treatments has fuelled a growing online market for products claiming to contain weight-loss drugs. Lilly said some sellers have promoted retatrutide through websites, social media posts and businesses presenting themselves as medical providers, despite sourcing products from unregulated manufacturers.
The pharmaceutical company said it has referred more than 200 individuals and entities to the FDA, the US Justice Department, state attorneys general, law enforcement agencies and professional licensing boards.
Alongside the lawsuits, Lilly has called on social media and e-commerce platforms, payment processors, credit card companies, shipping firms and regulators to take stronger action against sellers of unapproved retatrutide products.
US Customs and Border Protection told Reuters that it intercepted more than 690 shipments, comprising over 31,000 units of illicit GLP-1 drugs, during fiscal year 2025. In July alone, the number of seizures more than doubled, with over 1,400 seizures involving nearly 90,000 vials.
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Lilly's Dr Max Denning, Associate Vice President and Therapeutic Area Lead for Global Patient Safety, Cardiometabolic Health, warned that consumers taking these products could be exposing themselves to significant risks.
According to Lilly, the six lawsuits were filed against Aesthetic Envy Cosmetic Centers, Astra LLC, Legendary Peptides, Striker Pharmacy, Texas Peptides and Lone Star Peptide Co.
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