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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Science
Eric Berger

‘Who knows what they’re taking?’: people risk the gray market for the newest weight-loss drug

A vial of retatrutide and a syringe.
Made by Eli Lily, retatrutide is a triple agonist, targeting the GLP-1 and GIP receptors and glucagon. Photograph: LPETTET/Getty Images

About two years ago, Henry, who is 6ft 3in, weighed 210lb, which meant he was only slightly overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention body mass index.

Still, the thirtysomething who lives in the Pacific north-west had hypertension, sleep apnea and body image issues, so he started taking the weight-loss drug Ozempic. While he dropped pounds, he experienced constipation, a common side-effect, so he wanted to try retatrutide, another peptide which not only targets GLP-1 but two other hormone receptors as well.

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