Two women died after taking bootleg versions of an unapproved weight-loss drug called retatrutide, or “Reta,” according to reports filed with the FDA.
Story Highlights
- Retatrutide is an experimental weight-loss drug developed by Eli Lilly that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved for sale.
- Knockoff versions sold online and in spas can hold too much, too little or the wrong drug, according to Lilly.
- One of the women bought vials from a licensed nurse, according to the report filed after her death.
- The reports do not prove the drug caused either death, and the FDA has not said whether it checked them.
- Records describing the two deaths were made public on Tuesday, October 13.
Why This Matters
Losing weight is one of the hardest things a person can take on, and many people have tried diet after diet before they reach for a new shot. Real retatrutide has helped people in clinical trials lose more weight than the strongest drugs now on the market. But the drug has not been approved, so it cannot legally be sold, and what sellers put in a vial is not checked by anyone.
CBS News: FDA got reports of 2 deaths after use of bootleg products sold as retatrutide, Lilly's unapproved weight-loss drug. The reports are unverified and don't prove causation. Poison centers logged 862 reta exposures Jul-Sep. #retatrutidehttps://t.co/u5L8db8pk0
— PEP Guru (@PEP_Guru_1) October 13, 2026
Eli Lilly, the drugmaker that is testing the real medicine, says it has found knockoff products “with too much, too little, or the wrong active ingredient.” The company says the death reports “make clear the two individuals were taking black-market retatrutide.”
What the Death Reports Say
The reports were filed with the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, a database where doctors, patients and companies can report bad reactions to drugs. Anyone can file one, and a report alone does not prove a drug caused the harm. Both reports were obtained through public-records requests, with names blacked out.
In July, a health care worker reported that a 41-year-old woman went into cardiac arrest, which means her heart suddenly stopped pumping. The report lists retatrutide as a “suspect product” she got “from an unreliable source.” She reached a hospital with a dangerously fast heartbeat and died after efforts to revive her failed. The report also says she was drinking kava, a plant-based drink some people take to relax.
In September, the FDA received a report that a 49-year-old woman died after severe dehydration, malnutrition and cardiac arrest. According to that report, a licensed nurse “convinced” her to buy retatrutide from an online seller. The nurse “provided her the link and sold her vials and provided recommended dosages,” the report says. The nurse’s name and location were blacked out. Lilly says neither death was part of a formal drug trial.
A Fast-Growing Problem
America’s Poison Centers, a nonprofit that tracks poisonings, began counting retatrutide cases late last year. It logged 862 exposures in the three months ending in September, up from 460 in the three months before that. Bootleg Reta has turned up on websites, in health spas and even in some convenience stores. Some sellers call their vials “peptides,” short chains of protein building blocks, and mark them “for research use only.”
What Officials Have Said
The FDA would not say whether it verified either report. “We review adverse event reports, gathering additional information when needed,” the agency said, adding that it “generally does not discuss potential or ongoing compliance matters.”
Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said, “It is concerning because of the breakdown of our drug-approval process in the United States of America.” He added, “If the FDA is not aggressively investigating these cases, that’s deeply concerning.” Lilly is suing companies that sell bootleg versions, saying they are “poisoning the well for the future of retatrutide medicines.”
Protecting Your Family
If you are thinking about a weight-loss drug, talk with your doctor first. Weight changes and tiredness can have many medical causes, some of them serious, and a doctor can check for those before you start anything. Only use medicines your doctor prescribes and a licensed pharmacy fills. If a seller offers a shot with no prescription, or a vial marked “research use only,” walk away. If you have already taken a product like this and feel unwell, call your doctor or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. This article is not a substitute for medical care.