Leading health bosses have slapped fat jab users with a stark warning after illicit online sales of unauthorised injections came to light.
Created by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, known for creating Mounjaro, retatrutide is yet to be approved for humans and is the subject of clinical trials.
Nicknamed the “Triple G” of weight loss medication, the drug works through three different routes by mimicking hormone receptors GLP-1, glucagon and GIP, which all work to suppress appetite and aid weight loss.
Other approved weight loss injections have yet to adopt this three-fold approach, with Mounjaro only imitating GLP-1 and GIP.
Retatrutide is yet to be approved by an authorised agency
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Despite being yet to be given the green light, retatrutide is appearing to be sold through dozens of accounts via social platforms TikTok, Instagram and X, The Independent has revealed.
TikTok and Meta, however, have both claimed that such activity is prohibited on their apps.
Leading health chiefs at both Eli Lilly and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have warned that the jabs are illegal and threaten exposure to “dangerous ingredients that can have serious health consequences”.
Weight loss drugs should only be purchased from pharmacies following a consultation with your GP or equivalent medical professional.
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Head of the MHRA Criminal Enforcement Unit Andy Morling confirmed that the Government regulator was aware of the videos promoting the drug and reasserted that retatrutide has not been approved anywhere across the globe as of yet.
“Outside of authorised clinical trials, any products being sold in the UK that claim to contain retatrutide are likely to be illegal and potentially dangerous,” he said.
“Sourcing any medicine from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not approved for use.
“Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards, and can expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients that can have serious health consequences.”
Mounjaro and Wegovy are available to some patients through the NHS
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Eli Lilly issued a similar response, declaring that any product falsely representing itself as a Lilly investigational product that is yet to be approved poses “potentially serious health risks”.
A spokesman said: “Lilly aims to take all necessary actions to safeguard public health. We continue to support international educational efforts by joining forces with non-governmental organisations such as the World Health Organisation, World Health Professionals Association and World Customs Organisation, to warn patients and healthcare professionals about the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated outlets.”
Meanwhile, TikTok told the Independent that it had removed the offending content after it was brought to the platform's attention.
Meta, which owns Instagram, said that the platform did not permit the sale of pharmaceutical drugs and claimed to take down content about weight loss "miracle" claims, as well as attempts to buy or sell the products.