Two Deaths Linked to Unapproved Weight-Loss Drug ‘Reta’ Spark FDA Concerns
FDA investigates two deaths tied to unapproved weight-loss drug 'Reta'. Experts warn of dangers of black-market drugs.
POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Two fatalities have been linked to the unauthorized use of a counterfeit weight-loss drug known as ‘Reta,’ raising alarms about the risks of black-market pharmaceuticals. The drug is falsely marketed as retatrutide, an experimental medication being developed by Eli Lilly that has not yet received FDA approval.
The incidents, reported to the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, mark the first public cases in the U.S. where unapproved versions of retatrutide may have contributed to patient deaths. While no direct causation has been confirmed, the cases highlight the growing dangers of an illicit market for unregulated drugs.
In one case, a 41-year-old woman with obesity suffered cardiac arrest after using the drug from an unreliable source. In another, a 49-year-old patient died following severe dehydration and cardiac arrest after purchasing the product based on a nurse’s recommendation. Both cases involve products claiming to contain retatrutide, which is still in clinical trials and not available through legal channels.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
