Is retatrutide available in Australia? Trials only, and a fake that held 8 times the semaglutide dose
Retatrutide is an experimental weight medicine still in trials. In September 2026 the TGA tested a product sold as retatrutide and found something else entirely.
Written for Australia. Other country versions are coming.
No. Retatrutide is still in clinical trials and has not been approved by the TGA or any comparable regulator. The TGA says any retatrutide used outside a trial could be counterfeit. In September 2026 it tested a vial sold as retatrutide: it held no retatrutide, but about 8 times the approved level of semaglutide.
Key takeaways
- Retatrutide is not on the ARTG, and the TGA says it “has not been approved by the TGA or any comparable international regulator”.1,2
- A vial sold as retatrutide contained no retatrutide but about 8 times the approved semaglutide level; the user was hospitalised with a torn oesophagus.2
- Retatrutide acts on three hormone receptors, GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon, and is made by Eli Lilly.3,4
- In phase 2, weight fell 24.2% over 48 weeks on the 12 mg dose, against 2.1% on placebo, with stomach side effects rising with the dose.3
- ClinicalTrials.gov listed 6 retatrutide studies with an Australian site on 12 October 2026, one of them still recruiting.5
- Retatrutide is an unapproved medicine in Australia. Advertising unapproved medicines is generally unlawful, and this post is a warning, not a guide to getting it.10
- We name no seller and show no product.
On this page
Is retatrutide approved in Australia?
No. It isn’t on the ARTG, and the TGA says retatrutide “has not been approved by the TGA or any comparable international regulator”.1,2
A search of the ARTG, the register of medicines allowed in Australia, found no retatrutide entry on 12 October 2026.1 The TGA’s list of medicines under evaluation showed no retatrutide application on the same day.6
The TGA says it “should not be used outside a clinical trial setting”. It adds that “any retatrutide product accessed outside of clinical trials could be a counterfeit product”.2
Advertising it is generally unlawful too. The TGA says that applies to unapproved peptide products, as well as to prescription-only medicines.10
What happened with the fake retatrutide?
A person had vomiting they couldn’t stop, tore their oesophagus and needed hospital care. TGA tests found the vial held semaglutide, not retatrutide.2
The TGA published its safety advisory on 14 September 2026. It got a sample “in its original unmarked vial”.2 Lab testing found “undeclared semaglutide and no retatrutide”. The semaglutide was “approximately 8 times higher” than in approved semaglutide products.2
The oesophagus is the food pipe from the mouth to the stomach. Forceful, repeated vomiting can tear it.
The TGA urged people not to use unapproved peptides, “particularly those supplied in unmarked vials, purchased online or obtained from overseas”.2 Its Chief Medical Adviser said the biggest risk is “not knowing what is in the vial”.2
What is retatrutide, and what have trials shown?
An experimental weekly injection that acts on three hormone receptors at once: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. Phase 3 results were reported in 2026.3,4
Mounjaro acts on two of these receptors, GIP and GLP-1.9 Retatrutide adds a third, glucagon.3
In the phase 2 trial, paid for by Eli Lilly, 338 adults with obesity or overweight were treated for 48 weeks. Weight fell 24.2% on 12 mg, against 2.1% on placebo.3 For a 100 kg (220 lb) person, that is about 24 kg (53 lb) against 2 kg (5 lb), on average.
In July 2026 Lilly reported two phase 3 trials. In TRIUMPH-2, adults with type 2 diabetes lost 20.8% at 80 weeks on 12 mg, against 4.0% on placebo.4 Lilly plans to apply to the US regulator in early 2027.4 Those are company-reported results, not an approved label.
- Stomach effects. In the phase 2 trial, the most common side effects were stomach and bowel problems, and they rose with the dose.3
- Diarrhoea and stopping. In the July 2026 TRIUMPH-3 results, diarrhoea affected 30 in 100 people on 9 mg and 24 in 100 on 12 mg, against about 9 in 100 on placebo. Side effects made 13.5 in 100 on 12 mg stop treatment, against 4.8 in 100 on placebo.4
- Heart rate. Heart rate rose with the dose in phase 2, peaking at 24 weeks before falling back.3
- Unknown long-term safety. No regulator has approved it yet, so there is no approved label listing its risks.2
- Fake products. Outside a trial, the TGA says any “retatrutide” could be counterfeit, with unknown contents and dose.2
Approved options, your GP and the evidence, for Australia.
Are there retatrutide trials in Australia?
Yes. ClinicalTrials.gov listed 6 retatrutide studies with an Australian site on 12 October 2026; five had finished or closed to new people.5
The one still recruiting was a study of several medicines in people with fatty liver disease (MASH).5 The TGA says it should not be used outside a clinical trial.2
Each study lists its entry rules and sites on the registry. Ask your GP or specialist whether any trial fits you.5
Can you legally get or import retatrutide outside a trial?
No. Supplying or advertising unapproved medicines is prohibited, counterfeits can’t be personally imported, and Border Force can seize them.2,10,11
The TGA says “supply and advertising of unapproved therapeutic goods in Australia is prohibited unless a relevant exemption applies”.2 Penalties for breaches reach $1.82 million per breach for individuals and $18.2 million for companies. Criminal penalties can mean up to 7 years in prison.2
The Personal Importation Scheme allows some imports only if every condition is met, and never counterfeits.10,11 Products labelled “research use only” are still regulated as medicines.10
If you have used a product sold as retatrutide, tell your doctor what you took. Report side effects to the TGA.12 For approved options, read our guide to your options and what the TGA found in “GLP-1” drops and patches.
Questions people ask
Is retatrutide legal in Australia?
It is unapproved. Supplying or advertising it is prohibited unless an exemption applies, and the TGA says it should be used only in clinical trials.2
When will retatrutide be available in Australia?
We don’t know. No TGA application was listed on 12 October 2026, and Lilly plans its first US application in early 2027.4,6
Is retatrutide approved anywhere?
The TGA said in September 2026 that no comparable international regulator had approved it.2
How much weight did people lose on retatrutide?
In phase 2, 24.2% over 48 weeks on 12 mg, against 2.1% on placebo. Stomach side effects rose with the dose.3
How do I join a retatrutide trial?
Trials list their sites and entry rules on ClinicalTrials.gov. Ask your doctor whether one fits you.5
How we researched this
We read the TGA’s September 2026 retatrutide alert and searched the ARTG and the TGA’s under-evaluation list on 12 October 2026. Trial results come from the phase 2 paper on PubMed and HCPLive’s report of Lilly’s July 2026 announcement. Australian sites come from a ClinicalTrials.gov query.
Weight for a 100 kg person is our arithmetic. We name no seller and give no price.
Before you move on
- Retatrutide is not approved anywhere yet.
- Outside a trial, assume it could be fake.
- Unmarked vials are the TGA’s top warning sign.
- Tell your doctor about anything you have injected.
- Report side effects to the TGA.
More from the Australia blog
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An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don’t sell medicines, take drug-company money, earn commissions or link to any provider. Once a month: PBS decisions, TGA approvals and safety alerts. How we write
Sources
- TGA. Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods: search for retatrutide (no matching results), 12 October 2026. Link
- TGA. TGA tests counterfeit retatrutide product following serious adverse event report. Safety advisory, 14 September 2026. Link
- Jastreboff AM, et al. Triple-hormone-receptor agonist retatrutide for obesity: a phase 2 trial. N Engl J Med 2023;389:514–26. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2301972. PMID 37366315. Link
- HCPLive. Retatrutide meets phase 3 weight-loss endpoints in 2 obesity trials. 23 July 2026 (reporting Eli Lilly’s announcement). Link
- ClinicalTrials.gov. Studies of retatrutide with a location in Australia (API query, 12 October 2026). Link
- TGA. Prescription medicines under evaluation (searched for orforglipron, semaglutide and tirzepatide). Last updated 21 September 2026. Link
- healthdirect. Pancreatitis. Link
- healthdirect. How healthdirect can help you (triple zero and the 1800 022 222 helpline). Link
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro Australian Product Information, version A14.0. Date of revision 2 October 2026. Link
- TGA. How we regulate therapeutic peptide products. Link
- TGA. Counterfeit weight loss products claiming to contain GLP-1. Safety advisory, 2 March 2026. Link
- TGA. Reporting adverse events for consumers. Last updated 2 September 2026. Link
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error
How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It’s general information, not medical advice. Talk to your GP, pharmacist or prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. We don’t sell, prescribe or recommend any brand or provider. How we write