Weight loss drug lawsuit: Mounjaro maker files suit over compounded products

Weight loss drug maker Eli Lilly has filed suit against 10 medical spas, wellness clinics and compounding pharmacies over claims they are selling unauthorized versions of the diabetes drug Mounjaro.

Lawsuits have been filed in federal courts in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina and Utah, CNBC reported. In the suit, Eli Lilly alleges the businesses are selling “compounded” drug products that claim to contain tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro.

The medicine is currently in short supply due to skyrocketing demand for its off-label use as a weight loss drug.

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“Lilly filed this lawsuit to protect patients,” the drug maker said in a statement. “Lilly cannot validate the safety or effectiveness of products claiming to contain tirzepatide that are not our own branded product. Because of this, Lilly filed lawsuits to protect patient safety and stop the unlawful marketing and sale of non-FDA approved compounded products fraudulently claiming to be Mounjaro (tirzepatide) by medical spas, wellness centers and compounding pharmacies.

“These entities should be stopped from providing drug products in violation of consumer protection laws, particularly where they promise their patients that their drugs offer the same safety profile and clinical benefits as Mounjaro,” the company added.

The suit alleges trademark violations, false advertising and unfair competition.

Mounjaro, available in a pre-filled single dose pen, is currently only approved for type 2 diabetes.

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