By Robin Respaut
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly on Wednesday said it had filed six lawsuits against U.S. companies it accuses of illegally selling black-market versions of its experimental obesity drug retatrutide, escalating its campaign against unauthorized sellers before the medicine has won regulatory approval.
The Indianapolis-based drugmaker said the lawsuits target a range of businesses, including compounding pharmacies, medical spas and online sellers that allegedly marketed retatrutide products to consumers despite the drug remaining under clinical development.
Retatrutide is still in Phase 3 clinical trials for obesity, type 2 diabetes and other related conditions. No regulators have approved the compound for human use, Lilly said.
In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that sales of retatrutide and other unapproved versions of GLP-1 products to consumers are illegal and cannot lawfully be compounded.
“What is being sold on the black market is not a medicine – it is entirely unverified, unapproved and not worth the risk,” Lilly Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Hyman said in a statement.
Demand for obesity treatments has fueled a thriving online market for products claiming to contain weight-loss drugs. Some sellers have marketed retatrutide through websites, social media posts and businesses presenting themselves as medical providers, despite sourcing products from unregulated manufacturers, Lilly said.
The company said it has referred more than 200 individuals and entities to the FDA, the U.S. Justice Department, state attorneys general, law enforcement agencies and professional licensing boards.
In addition to the lawsuits, Lilly 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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Reuters the agency intercepted over 690 shipments – totaling more than 31,000 units – of illicit GLP-1 drugs during fiscal year 2025. In the month of July, those figures more than doubled, with over 1,400 seizures and nearly 90,000 vials intercepted.
“Every single time that someone takes one of these, they’re exposing themselves to a huge amount of risk,” said Lilly’s Dr. Max Denning, Associate Vice President, Therapeutic Area Lead – Global Patient Safety Cardiometabolic Health.
The six lawsuits were filed against Aesthetic Envy Cosmetic Centers, Astra LLC, Legendary Peptides, Striker Pharmacy, Texas Peptides and Lone Star Peptide Co, according to Lilly.
(Reporting by Robin Respaut, additional reporting by Chris Prentice; editing by Mike Erman and Lincoln Feast.)
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