Eli Lilly to sue US sellers of counterfeit retatrutide
Eli Lilly, the company behind the experimental weight-loss drug retatrutide, is planning to file lawsuits against US businesses selling counterfeit versions.
It's calling this an "urgent public health crisis" and urging authorities to crack down harder.
Despite repeated warnings, knockoff retatrutide is still popping up online, in clinics, and even on social media.
Eli Lilly refers over 200 entities
Lilly has referred more than 200 entities to the FDA, the US Department of Justice, state attorneys general, law enforcement, and professional licensing boards.
The FDA has already sent warning letters to at least 16 businesses since 2024, but many keep selling the unapproved drug anyway.
On top of that, Lilly has reported more than 14,000 websites, advertisements, social media posts and product listings in more than 100 countries, and it's pushing for more global cooperation to stop it.