Is retatrutide legal in the UAE?
No. Retatrutide is not approved in the UAE. In July 2026 the Emirates Drug Establishment said it "remains under clinical investigation" and has not been approved for marketing or medical use. It acted against 71 sources selling unapproved peptide products and referred 14 influencers to the National Media Office.
- Retatrutide is not approved anywhere, and Lilly says no one should take it outside its clinical trials.1
- We don't name or link sellers.
What is retatrutide?
Retatrutide is Eli Lilly's experimental weekly injection that acts on three hormone receptors, GIP, GLP‑1 and glucagon, and no regulator has approved it.1
Lilly calls it "investigational", says it has not been approved by any regulatory agency, and says it is legally available only through Lilly's clinical trials.1 It is being tested in large phase 3 trials, such as the 80-week TRIUMPH‑1 trial in 2,339 adults.2 Lilly calls the nickname "GLP‑3" a scientifically inaccurate label.1
What did the UAE regulator do?
In July 2026 the Emirates Drug Establishment took action against 71 sources marketing or selling unapproved peptide products, 14 of them registered establishments.3
It referred 14 social media influencers to the National Media Office over online promotion and sale of medicines.3 It said "simply describing a product as a 'peptide' does not mean it is an approved medicine", and that it had found no unapproved peptides in the licensed warehouses it supervises.3 Selling medicines without a licence can bring fines: a Sharjah court fined two people Dh10,000 each for selling Mounjaro through social media.4
What are the risks of buying it?
Products sold as retatrutide come from outside approved supply, and Lilly says they may contain unknown ingredients, contaminants or the wrong amount of medicine.1
Abu Dhabi's Department of Health warns that GLP‑1 products bought online may be fake, contain undeclared ingredients or give no benefit.5 If you have taken a product sold as retatrutide and feel unwell, see How do I report a side effect in the UAE? Approved options, and how to get them legally, are in Guide 6. How to judge a provider is in Guide 7.
- Stomach effects were common in trials. In Lilly's 80-week TRIUMPH-1 trial, 42 in 100 people on retatrutide 12 mg felt sick and 25 in 100 vomited, against 15 and 5 in 100 on a dummy injection.2
- 11 in 100 stopped retatrutide 12 mg because of side effects, against 5 in 100 on the dummy injection.2
- Unapproved products are a separate risk. Lilly says illicit retatrutide may contain unknown ingredients, contaminants or the wrong dose.1
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- Eli Lilly. What to know about retatrutide ("an investigational once-weekly triple hormone receptor agonist" acting on GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors; "It has not been approved by any regulatory agency"; "legally available only through Lilly's clinical trials"; illicit products "may contain unknown ingredients, harmful contaminants and impurities"; "GLP-3" is "a scientifically inaccurate label"). Last updated September 2026. lilly.com
- Eli Lilly. Retatrutide TRIUMPH-1 phase 3 results, press release, 21 May 2026 (2,339 adults, 80 weeks; nausea 42.4% on 12 mg vs 14.8% on placebo; vomiting 25.3% vs 4.8%; 11.3% stopped for side effects vs 4.9%). prnewswire.com
- Gulf News. UAE weight-loss drug crackdown: 71 sources, 14 influencers face action (Emirates Drug Establishment: retatrutide "remains under clinical investigation and has not been approved ... for marketing or medical use within the UAE"; "simply describing a product as a 'peptide' does not mean it is an approved medicine"; 71 sources, 14 of them registered establishments; 14 influencers referred to the National Media Office; the public should verify "that a product is officially registered and has obtained approval from the relevant regulatory authorities"). 25 Jul 2026. gulfnews.com
- Gulf News. Dh10,000 fine for selling Mounjaro injections without a licence in Sharjah (Sharjah Misdemeanours Court; two people fined Dh10,000 each, a third Dh5,000; the case began with a social media account advertising Mounjaro; medicines and funds confiscated). 31 Jul 2026. gulfnews.com
- Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Circular 48/2026, 16 Mar 2026: alert against counterfeit weight-loss products; GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide are prescription-only medicines; the products in the alert are not registered with the Emirates Drug Establishment but are sold online and on social media; report adverse reactions to the DoH Pharmacovigilance program ([email protected]). Summarised, not reproduced. doh.gov.ae (PDF)
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. It's general information, not medical advice, and religious questions are for a scholar you trust. Talk to a UAE-licensed doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write