The wellness wild west makes it easy to buy unapproved weight loss drugs

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer will be taking a break for the holidays and will be back January 9th. Opt in for Optimizer here.

You’ve probably heard of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro. But if your algorithm serves up wellness and fitness content — like mine does — there’s a good chance you’ve been seeing influencers talk about a new weight loss drug: retatrutide, the so-called GLP-3.

The first video I saw was sent by a colleague. It features a fitness influencer enthusiastically saying “GLP-3, aka Ratatouille, as we have to call it here.” In the upper right-hand corner is a disclaimer saying the video is for “educational” or “research” purposes only and to consult with a doctor. This particular creator says they’ve been using “ratatouille” for 102 days and lost 26 pounds. They talk about how “GLP-3s” contain semaglutide, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon — hormones that help reduce appetite and burn fat. There’s some truth in this, but it’s definitely not that simple.

If you search retatrutide on TikTok and Instagram, you’ll find several influencers giving tips on dosing “reta,” influencers asking followers to DM them or head to linktrees for “reputable” vendors complete with discount codes. Some are bodybuilders who claim they’re simply into optimizing their bodies and looking for anything to give them an edge. Many hastily add that they’re not medical professionals, that this is their experience only, and everything they’re saying is for “research and educational purposes” only. In the comments, you’ll see dozens of people asking where to get this miracle peptide.

These creators almost never mention that retatrutide currently hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The experimental drug from Eli Lilly is currently undergoing phase three clinical trials, and while it’s yielded promising preliminary results under strict trial conditions, it’s not been deemed safe for the market yet. The majority don’t educate viewers that the FDA has issued warnings to six companies — five in the US and one in Germany — for selling the unapproved drug via the gray market.

Welcome to the wellness wild west.

After about five minutes on TikTok, I click on a random influencer’s linktree and enter their 10 percent discount code. I’m able to stick a 10mg vial of “peptide-R” plus a free supply of bacteriostatic water into my cart. You see, I’d have to manually reconstitute a powdered version of “peptide-R” with bacteriostatic water to use it. All over the site, there are warnings stating that this particular pharmacy is selling for “research” only, not medical or personal use. However, I’m not required to provide any proof that I’m a lab researcher when I check out. With that discount, I successfully order a vial costing $117 — $130 total with shipping.

This is significantly cheaper than the FDA-approved, brand-named GLP-1 medications out of pocket. While there are some introductory prices around $200–$400 monthly, most of these medications cost over $1,000 monthly unless covered by insurance. Even then, many insurance companies require prior authorization.

Afterward, when I’m back to doomscrolling, I’m shown ad after ad for compounding pharmacies that will help me avoid the mean old doctor who won’t prescribe a GLP-1. All I have to do is answer a quick quiz. Those are interspersed with more tutorials from non-medical professionals on how to reconstitute gray-market retatrutide from my own home using Amazon-bought syringes, alcohol wipes, and “bac water.”

For research and educational purposes, “GLP-3” is somewhat of a misnomer.

Ozempic and Wegovy are semaglutides, medications that mimic a natural gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These are called agonists because they bind to a cellular receptor and activate it. Likewise, Zepbound and Mounjaro are tirzepatides, which mimic GLP-1 and GIP. The difference between these medications and retatrutide is that the latter is a single molecule that mimics GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, a third metabolic hormone. Those three “G’s” are why influencers have dubbed retatrutide a “GLP-3.”

“Triple agonist is a better name than GLP-3 because it agonizes the receptor for GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon,” says Dr. Michael Weintraub, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Diabetes & Endocrine Associates. Weintraub explains that this triple action is likely why early phase three clinical testing results for retatrutide show a profound decrease in appetite and significant weight loss.

However, he also notes that the phase three trial for retatrutide is ongoing. Only one study has been completed, and the full paper hasn’t been released yet. All anyone has so far is the top-line data. There are seven additional phase three trials that are expected to finish in 2026.

“This is a medication that hasn’t even been fully studied. It’s a totally new mechanism and we don’t have any analogous medication to even look at the potential effect of this family of medicine that affects this glucagon receptor. There could be a lot of unwanted side effects of adverse events that we don’t yet know about that would maybe lead to this medication not being FDA-approved. We have to go through that process to make sure something is safe,” Weintraub says.

So if retatrutide is currently experimental, how are all these influencers getting it? What are these pharmacies that they’re pointing to?

Currently, the only way to get legitimate retatrutide is to be part of Eli Lilly’s clinical trials. Much of what’s being peddled online comes from dubious resellers or compounding pharmacies. Compounding refers to the medical practice of custom-creating medications that cannot be commercially bought. There are legitimate reasons for compounding — for instance, if a patient is allergic to a key ingredient in a commercial formulation or requires a dosage that isn’t readily available.

In the case of GLP-1 medications, the FDA allowed compounding pharmacies to create the drug in 2022 when there was a shortage due to increased demand. Earlier this year, the FDA announced the shortage is over. That means compounding pharmacies can no longer legally create carbon copies of drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, or Mounjaro — especially if it’s simply to offer cheaper alternatives to FDA-approved versions. These pharmacies were given a grace period to phase out production, which ended in May 2025. Some have turned to selling a precursor to GLP-1s called liraglutide, which are less effective and can cause more severe side effects.

As for retatrutide, the FDA stated in a warning that it cannot be used in compounding under federal law. Furthermore, the agency states that “these are not components of FDA-approved drugs and have not been found safe and effective for any condition.”

The problem with compounding pharmacies is that they require zero FDA oversight or quality control. That can lead to drugs that aren’t properly refrigerated during shipping, incorrect dosages, and different forms of ingredients that haven’t been clinically tested. That increases the chance of adverse effects. The risk increases further if people are buying gray-market peptides that require them to manually reconstitute powdered versions.

“We’re already seeing in these compounding formulations a lot of worsened side effects and hospitalizations compared to what is produced by the pharmaceutical manufacturer,” says Weintraub.

As of July 2025, the FDA says it’s received 605 reports of adverse effects related to compounded semaglutides and 545 reports related to compounded tirzepatides. The agency notes that it’s likely this number is underreported. It’s impossible to know if or how many people have been hospitalized from so-called GLP-3, though it was easy enough to find commenters relaying stories about intense nausea and vomiting from incorrect at-home dosing. While these comments can’t be verified, it’s a major concern for physicians.

“As a physician or medical provider, whenever we think about starting medication we always weigh risk versus benefit,” says Weintraub, noting that managing side effects and monitoring other vitals are a major part of that conversation. “I’m concerned when patients are able to get these medicines when they’ve never even spoken to a medical provider or gotten a full assessment because no one’s done that risk-versus-benefit analysis.”

Another complication: Weintraub says these medications, approved or unapproved, have primarily been studied in obese and diabetic people. There’s not a wide body of evidence regarding leaner people, as in the bodybuilders who are singing the praises of retatrutide online. Doctors don’t know how to weigh the risks or benefits for people who aren’t obese or don’t have metabolic conditions stemming from obesity.

He says he doubts whether what they’re taking is truly retatrutide as it’s impossible to know what’s actually in these gray-market peptides.

“Any app, any website, any company that is advertising that they are producing or selling retatrutide cannot be trustworthy,” Weintraub says.

While researching the influencer effect on the “GLP-3” market, I noticed another narrative forming. Videos have begun popping up from influencers warning that the “research peptide market” is beginning to dump its inventory ahead of increased regulatory scrutiny. In Washington, legislators in the pocket of Big Pharma are trying to pass drug safety bills that will limit access to GLP-1s and retatrutide to protect their profit margins.

The bill they’re referring to is the Safeguarding Americans from Fraudulent and Experimental (SAFE) Drugs Act of 2025. Introduced by Reps. Rudy Yakym and André Carson, it’s aimed at “protecting patients from untested, unapproved, and potentially dangerous mass compounded drugs,” with a particular mention of GLP-1 medications.

These lawmakers don’t actually care about your safety, the influencers say, nitpicking parts of the bill. Reputable vendors do the same third-party testing as FDA-inspected facilities! All Big Pharma cares about is intellectual property, they say. After all, Reps. Yakym and Carson are both from Indiana, and you know what company is based in Indiana? Eli Lilly — the pharmaceutical company behind retatrutide. Compound pharmacies and the research peptide market, they assert, are the Robin Hoods stealing profit from Big Pharma and giving GLPs, even those that haven’t been approved, to the masses.

Never mind that influencers also profit from the “research peptide market” via their affiliate codes and partnerships. That this legislation potentially threatens their income, too. This narrative — along with anecdotal testimonials of how effective “ratatouille” can be — is powerful word-of-mouth marketing. And it contains a spark of truth: For many Americans, the healthcare system feels broken.

The “GLP-3,” ratatouille, reta — whatever you want to call it — market is a prime example of the wellness wild west. It’s a major part of what I want to investigate as part of Optimizer.

Technology often seeks to democratize and disrupt established institutions. In the medical space, the stakes are incredibly high. Yet, in my decade of covering this beat, I’ve seen this same story play out time and time again.

Companies or influencers claim they have a secret to solving your health problem. They say their claims are backed by science. Words like “clinically validated” are emblazoned on their packaging. There are often white papers — which are not the same thing as peer-reviewed studies — or preliminary scientific research that lend credence to their assertions. However, because the FDA regulatory process is time-consuming and requires incredible resources, companies market their products under the wellness label. Wellness, as I’ve written about before, doesn’t require FDA oversight, leading to dangerously blurred lines between health tools and snake oil. Well-meaning influencers promoting these products are often on the frontier spreading truths mixed with half-truths, marketing, and misinformation.

Once my bottle of gray-market peptide-R arrives, I fully intend to send it off for lab testing. And while Optimizer will be taking a break over the holidays, I hope you’ll join me in 2026 when I can report back exactly what I’ve found.