Unapproved weight-loss peptide causes life-threatening oesophageal tear, TGA warns

The TGA released details of a case in which a person injected a black-market peptide marketed as retatrutide and suffered a potentially fatal oesophageal tear, prompting emergency hospitalization. Laboratory testing confirmed the vial lacked retatrutide and instead held semaglutide at a dose roughly eight times greater than standard products, a finding echoed by earlier one outlet and University of Queensland investigations that identified inflated dosages on similar vials.

Melbourne gastroenterologist Darcy Holt explained that an oesophageal rupture can allow stomach contents to enter the chest cavity, a condition that is almost always lethal without rapid medical intervention, and he also reported cases of liver toxicity and severe diarrhoea linked to these unapproved injections. The TGA’s chief medical advisor Robyn Langham emphasized the unknown composition, sterility, and potential contaminants of such injectable products, stressing the heightened risk of infection and allergic reactions.

She reiterated that retatrutide is still in clinical trials and has not received approval from any regulator, so it should only be used within trial settings. Holt observed a noticeable rise in patients reporting use of counterfeit retatrutide over the past few months, underscoring a growing public health concern.