At least 17 medical facilities have advertised or promoted the product, which is still being studied by Eli Lilly.
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An experimental, unapproved weight-loss drug is spreading across Georgia’s medical clinics.
At least 17 medical facilities in Georgia have advertised or promoted products marketed as retatrutide, an investigational drug being developed by Indiana-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, according to an October 15 investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The businesses include medical spas, wellness clinics, and weight-loss clinics.
The sales come amid growing demand for weight-loss medications. About one in eight U.S. adults reported currently taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss or another health condition in a KFF poll conducted in late 2025.
Retatrutide, however, has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Eli Lilly says it is legally available only through its clinical trials.
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“Anything sold to consumers outside of those trials is illegal, with no way to verify its safety, purity or dosing,” the company says on its website.
A weight-loss drug still in development
Retatrutide is a once-weekly injectable drug that activates receptors for three hormones: GLP-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon. That makes it a “triple hormone receptor agonist,” according to Eli Lilly.
The company is studying it for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea and knee osteoarthritis pain. Its safety and effectiveness remain under evaluation.