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The rise in popularity of weight loss drugs has led some to seek alternative solutions, yet medical experts have now been forced to issue a serious warning after one counterfeit medication causes life-threatening illnesses in several individuals.
You've likely already heard of treatments like Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Wegovy – or even their non-branded medical names, semaglutide and tirzepatide – as these are by far the most popular weight loss drugs on the market.
Their price and current availability might prompt some prospective patients to seek out different solutions, however, with one drug labelled 'retatrutide' emerging as a popular – yet dangerous – choice.
As reported by ABC News, the rise in patients suffering life-threatening illnesses after taking retatrutide has prompted senior doctors in Melbourne to issue a new warning, urging people not to take the injectable treatment.
Retatrutide is a once-a-week weight loss injection that has been developed by Eli Lilly – the company behind Mounjaro and Zepbound – and while it hasn't yet received approval from the US Food and Drug Administrator (FDA) or the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), it displayed miraculous results in clinical trials.
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Its strength seemingly comes from its triple-agonist design, which activates three separate hormonal receptors – GLP-1, GIP, and Glucagon – at the same time, whereas alternatives like Ozempic only typically activate one.
It has been called the 'Godzilla' of weight loss drugs, with results showing losses of up to 30% body weight in existing trials over a long period of time, yet a recent string of concerning cases has seemingly left people's health at risk.
While retatrutide remains unapproved across the world, its administration in Australia has seemingly been linked to six separate cases of acute liver toxicity, with the effects reportedly linked to a contaminant within the associated weight loss drug.
An alert has been issued by the Victoria State Government's Department of Health, with Chief Health Office Dr Caroline McElnay warning people to stay away from products labeled retatrutide, reta, R-10, or R-20.
"These products have been purchased online, through friends and through social media accounts," the warning reads. "Retatrutide is an experimental drug not approved for sale as a safe medical product in Australia. It is marketed widely online for muscle growth, fat loss, recovery and anti-ageing."
32-year-old Megan Hancocks is one of the several people to have been hospitalized after taking retatrutide, and she had been taking the weight loss drug for just a week before suffering from acute liver failure.
She obtained the drug through a clinician, who had purchased the medication from a Chinese manufacturer with cash. Thankfully her liver managed to recover somehwat after a month in hospital, but she has been left unable to work and has been forced back into hospital several times since the first incident.
If you have taken a product associated with retatrutide then you'll want to keep watch for the following symptoms, as they could provide a warning sign for serious liver issues:
If you're suffering from any of these your best course of action is to contact your doctor or visit a hospital as soon as possible, and you should stop taking any retatrutide treatments regardless of any present side effects right now.
