Influencers promoting 'Triple G' weight loss drug not approved for human use

Key Points

Retatrutide, an unlicensed weight-loss drug still in clinical trials, is being promoted on social media
Health experts warn the drug is not approved for human use anywhere in the world and may pose serious risks
STV News found websites advertising the product for “research purposes only” while marketing it for weight loss
Pharmacists report a surge in public interest since the price of licensed drug Mounjaro increased last month
Eli Lilly and the MHRA have confirmed any products claiming to contain retatrutide are illegal and potentially dangerous

An unlicensed weight-loss drug is being endorsed by social media influencers despite not having regulatory approval anywhere in the world.

The experimental medication retatrutide, nicknamed the “Triple G” of weight-loss treatments, is still in clinical trials but has been described by some as a potential breakthrough if officially licensed.

Unlike existing prescription options, it acts on three receptors and hormones – GLP-1, GIP and glucagon – that work together to suppress appetite and regulate metabolism.

Supporters claim it could become the most effective slimming drug on the market if approved, but health experts warn that buying or using it at the moment poses serious risks.

STV News has seen numerous websites claiming to sell retatrutide for “research purposes only”.

Sehar Shahid, who owns 24hr Pharmacy in Glasgow, said she’s seen a huge influx in the number of people asking about retatrutide since the price of Mounjaro increased last month.

“It’s been one of the common questions I get asked about recently over the last few weeks,” she told STV News.

“My concerns are obviously patients are accessing what they think is a drug when it’s not yet approved, so it makes you wonder if it’s not yet licensed and approved, what is it you’re actually using, where are you getting it from, because it’ll be an unregulated supplier.

“Retatrutide, once approved will be a prescription only medication, it has to be initiated with a proper consultation with a medically trained provider so whatever it is that they’re taking, are they making it up correctly? That’s a whole issue in itself.”

‘People thought I was a good laugh, but I was dying inside’

Ashley Williams from Aberdeen was at her lowest ebb when she decided to buy what she thought was semaglutide – the active ingredient in the weight-loss drug Wegovy – from an Instagram page.

She told STV News: “I was the smiley, bubbly, fat girl that people would say ‘oh, Ashley’s a good laugh’ but inside I was dying.”

Ashley weighed around 23 and a half stone at the time and says she was desperate to find a quick fix.

Ashley Williams before and after her weight loss. STV News

“It was basically a page on Instagram that had come up,” she said. “It came in a brown envelope, and I think it was next-day delivery.

“Realistically, it could have been anything; it could have been icing sugar, it could have been talcum powder, any kind of white powder, it could have been paracetamol crushed up. You’re not thinking logically because you’re in that desperate state of mind.”

Ashley said she suffered no side effects and stopped using the substance when she realised it did not affect her weight.

She’s now been prescribed Mounjaro, a regulated weight-loss injection, and has lost seven-and-a-half stone over the past year.

However, she was recently contacted on TikTok by people asking her to promote another drug – retatrutide – in exchange for £30 for every pen sold.

Despite the drug not being approved for human use, Ashley was told by sellers that it was genuine and safe.

She added: “Unlike when I first used semaglutide, bought through a dodgy channel, they do look really professional, they do look quite similar to your Wegovy, Mounjaro, they come in a pen, they come boxed, the websites look professional, it’s scary.

“I know it’s tempting, I know it’s a horrible position to be in, but don’t do it because it’s not worth it. We’re trying to be healthy and that’s why we’re taking the medication. We’re trying to extend our lives, not cut it short because we’re trying to save a few quid.”

Drug available online for between £150 and £340

STV News found a website claiming to sell retatrutide for anywhere between £150 and £340.

When we clicked on the cheapest one – a 20-milligram dose – the description said it was a “pre-filled research device” produced only for laboratory research and was not for human or veterinary consumption.

That’s a major contradiction to videos on social media advertising the product for weight loss and showing before and after pictures with a 10% discount code.

We were also told an order would arrive in just one to two days.

Sellers are sourcing the drug in bulk from Asia

Dr Luke Turnock, a senior lecturer in Criminology at the University of Lincoln, says his research suggests sellers are sourcing the drug in bulk from China.

He told STV News: “If you are buying in bulk, you could get vials of ‘reta’ for as cheap as £1.50 a vial if you’re buying 10,000 of them, so it’s very cheap for people to buy, import it, and then of course that means it can get sold on the market level for much cheaper.

“Because it’s not yet gone through all the clinical trials, they sell it as a ‘research chemical’ so they kind of have that excuse of ‘well it’s not a scheduled drug, it’s not a prescription-only medicine, we’re selling it for research purposes.”

What are the manufacturers of retatrutide saying?

A spokesperson for Eli Lilly said: “retatrutide is an investigational molecule that Lilly is studying for the treatment of obesity – it is in phase 3 clinical trials and is not available to patients outside of these trials.

“Retatrutide has not been reviewed or approved by the FDA, EMA, or any regulatory agency anywhere in the world, and therefore, at this time, no one can sell retatrutide for human use.

“Any product falsely representing itself as a Lilly investigational product not yet approved by regulators, like retatrutide, may expose patients to potentially serious health risks.”

And what about the medicines regulator?

A spokesperson for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: “Outside of authorised clinical trials, any products being sold in the UK that claim to contain retatrutide are likely to be illegal and are potentially dangerous to your health.  

“Many authorised weight loss medicines are prescription-only, meaning that a consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional is needed to assess the patient’s suitability for the treatment and consider any potential risks.

 ”Sourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not approved for use.

“Products bought in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict safety and quality standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.”