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Demand for unapproved weight loss drug outpaces regulators

A photo of a Mounjaro applicator on a white dish beside a fork and knife.
Photo: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

Unapproved obesity drug retatrutide is fueling a fast-growing black market of counterfeit products, exposing gaps in the regulatory system as federal agencies struggle to keep up.

An experimental injectable not yet submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration has become a target for online vendors, med spas, and compounding pharmacies.

Eli Lilly’s triple‑agonist retatrutide is part of a new generation of obesity medicines drawing intense public interest. Early trial results showing weight loss of

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