This Drug Could Be the Next Ozempic. Bootlegs Are Already Selling Online.
Eli Lilly's retatrutide will be in clinical trials for the next three years, but knockoff versions already abound.
Carolyn Fong, The Wall Street Journal.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a potential blockbuster drug for weight loss that is still years from U.S. approval has already been sold online. This is another example of an thriving gray-market for unapproved weight-loss drugs.
The Journal discovered hundreds of merchants selling the new drug developed by Eli Lilly, called retatrutide. The majority of the sellers appear to be Chinese, shipping directly to U.S. customers from sites like Made-in-China.com. Some sites, some of which appear to be in the U.S.A., have advertised their products on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Reddit. A few have paid for ads on Instagram and Google. One fitness influencer sold it via his newsletter.