Two Fatalities Linked to Unapproved Black-Market Retatrutide Reported to FDA

The FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System recorded two deaths tied to illicit versions of retatrutide, an experimental obesity medication still under development by Eli Lilly. The first case, reported in July, involved a 41-year-old woman who suffered cardiac arrest after acquiring the drug from an unverified source. The second, reported in September, described a 49-year-old patient who was persuaded by a licensed nurse to purchase the peptide online, subsequently experiencing severe dehydration, malnutrition and cardiac arrest.

While the reports do not prove the drug caused the fatalities, they highlight the dangers of an unregulated market for the substance. Harvard Medical School’s Pieter Cohen called for aggressive FDA investigation and analysis of the actual product used. Eli Lilly confirmed the deaths involved black-market retatrutide and warned that counterfeit products may contain incorrect ingredients or contaminants.