Eli Lilly sues six U.S. firms over alleged black-market sales of investigational drug retatrutide

Eli Lilly has filed lawsuits against six U.S. companies it says are selling its investigational diabetes and weight-loss drug retatrutide.

The companies are accused of operating a black-market for the GLP-1 candidate, which is still in clinical trials and has not received regulatory approval.

The litigation is Lilly’s first action alleging unauthorized distribution of the experimental therapy.

The suits highlight growing concerns about the illicit trade of promising but unapproved medicines.