Is retatrutide legal in Australia?
No. Retatrutide is an experimental medicine that is not approved in Australia or by any comparable regulator, the TGA said in September 2026, and it should be used only in clinical trials. A product sold as retatrutide in Australia contained no retatrutide, but about 8 times the semaglutide level of registered products.
Why isn't retatrutide allowed?
Retatrutide is still being tested in clinical trials in humans, and the TGA says any product accessed outside a trial “could be a counterfeit product”.1
We found no application for retatrutide, from any company, on the TGA's list of prescription medicines under evaluation, updated 21 September 2026.2 Supplying or advertising unapproved medicines in Australia is prohibited unless an exemption applies. Breaches can bring infringement notices or civil or criminal penalties, including up to 7 years' imprisonment.1
What happened with the fake retatrutide?
Someone who used a product sold as retatrutide had uncontrollable vomiting that tore their oesophagus, and needed hospital treatment.1
TGA testing of the unmarked vial found undeclared semaglutide and no retatrutide. The semaglutide level was about 8 times that of registered semaglutide products.1 The TGA's chief medical adviser said the biggest risk with such products is not knowing what is in the vial, whether it is sterile, or what contaminants it holds. Non-sterile injections can cause infection and harmful immune reactions, including anaphylaxis.1 The TGA has issued other warnings about unapproved peptide products, including a national warning from the Chief Medical Officer.1 In June 2026 the Chief Medical Officer urged Australians not to use unapproved peptides, after six cases of acute liver toxicity in Victoria that year were linked to a product labelled as retatrutide; Victoria’s Chief Health Officer said contaminants may be contributing.5
Can you import it for personal use?
Not a counterfeit: counterfeit products can't be imported under the Personal Importation Scheme, and unapproved peptides only if every condition of the scheme is met.3,4
The TGA asks people to use only products supplied through Australian pharmacies.1 Severe vomiting or stomach pain needs urgent care: see When should I call 000 on a GLP‑1? Then report it: How do I report a side effect to the TGA?
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- TGA. TGA tests counterfeit retatrutide product following serious adverse event report. Safety advisory, 14 Sep 2026. tga.gov.au
- TGA. Prescription medicines under evaluation (searched for semaglutide, orforglipron and retatrutide on 12 Oct 2026). Page last updated 21 Sep 2026. tga.gov.au
- TGA. Counterfeit weight loss products claiming to contain GLP-1. Safety advisory, 2 Mar 2026. tga.gov.au
- TGA. How we regulate therapeutic peptide products. tga.gov.au
- newsGP (RACGP). Illegal peptide warnings intensify amid acute liver toxicity, 22 Jun 2026. racgp.org.au
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. We don't publish medicine prices, and we don't name, rank or link to sellers or telehealth services. It's general information, not medical advice, and nothing here is an offer to supply any medicine. Talk to a GP, pharmacist or other qualified prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write