FDA received two death reports linked to counterfeit retatrutide

The FDA has received reports of two recent deaths tied to counterfeit versions of retatrutide, an investigational weight-loss medication that is not approved for sale ^[1]. CBS News described the reports, and MedPage Today summarized them in an endocrinology news roundup dated October 13, 2026 ^[1].

Retatrutide has no approved version, so any product sold under that name falls outside FDA review ^[1]. What the two people took, how much they took, and where they got it have not been reported. Also not reported: their ages, when and where the deaths occurred, whether the FDA has confirmed that a counterfeit product caused either death, and whether the agency has opened an investigation, issued a public warning, or asked for a recall.

The reports concern a drug for which no approved product exists ^[1]. Whether counterfeit versions of other unapproved weight-loss drugs have been connected to deaths has not been reported ^[1].

Two other items in the same October 13 roundup involved obesity treatment. The World Health Organization issued its first global guidelines on obesity in children and adolescents, recommending against weight-loss drugs or bariatric surgery in patients younger than 10 ^[1]. NPR reported on ongoing lawsuits that allege GLP-1 receptor agonists can cause severe adverse events ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

The two deaths involve counterfeit versions of a drug that has not been approved, which is a different situation from taking a medicine that went through FDA review ^[1]. Because retatrutide is investigational, there is no approved reference product, and nothing sold as retatrutide has been through the agency's approval process ^[1]. A report of a death to the FDA is also not the same as a finding that a drug caused it; whether the agency has reached that conclusion in these two cases has not been reported ^[1].

Approved weight-management medicines are a separate category from retatrutide. Oral semaglutide (Wegovy) was approved for weight management and surpassed 100,000 new prescriptions within about two months, according to Annals of Internal Medicine ^[1]. Tirzepatide (Zepbound) is also under study for conditions beyond weight; an exploratory phase 3b trial in adults with obesity and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis showed favorable biomarker changes and reduced inflammatory immune activity, according to Eli Lilly ^[1].

What happens next

No timeline has been disclosed for FDA action on the two reports, including whether the agency will publish a warning or an update for consumers ^[1]. Separately, Novo Nordisk plans to discontinue its GLP-1 weight-loss injectable liraglutide (Saxenda) in early 2027 because of declining sales ^[1].