"30% weight loss": The experimental weight-loss drug that's driving the world crazy - and the dangers along the way
An i24NEWS health reporter reviews the phenomenon of retatrutide (Reta), an experimental weight-loss drug that has not yet been approved for use but is already being sold in counterfeit forms on social media, promising a 30% reduction in body weight. The article presents the health risks associated with using unregulated counterfeits, including severe side effects and reports of hospitalizations abroad, and includes warnings from the Ministry of Health and Eli Lilly.
i24NEWS health reporter Sivan Elkalk Munier analyzes the phenomenon of retatrutide (Reta), an experimental weight-loss drug that promises a 30% reduction in body weight over 80 weeks. The drug, developed by Eli Lilly, has not yet been approved for use by any regulatory authority in the world, but is already being sold in unregulated counterfeits on social media, primarily on TikTok, and on websites. The article explains the drug's triple mechanism of action (GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon) and cites data from a Phase 3 trial showing an average weight loss of 28.3%. However, it emphasizes the serious dangers: side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and increased heart rate, as well as a report from Australia about a person hospitalized with an esophageal tear after using a counterfeit. The article includes Eli Lilly's response, clarifying that it is not marketing the drug, and a warning from the Israeli Ministry of Health, which has identified suspicious products at customs and warns against purchasing drugs outside legal channels. The article does not take a political stance and presents medical and regulatory facts.