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This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer will be taking a break for the holidays and will be back January 9th. Opt in for Optimizer here.
You’ve probably heard of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro. But if your algorithm serves up wellness and fitness content — like mine does — there’s a good chance you’ve been seeing influencers talk about a new weight loss drug: retatrutide, the so-called GLP-3.
The first video I saw was sent by a colleague. It features a fitness influencer enthusiastically saying “GLP-3, aka Ratatouille, as we have to call it here.” In the upper right-hand corner is a disclaimer saying the video is for “educational” or “research” purposes only and to consult with a doctor. This particular creator says they’ve been using “ratatouille” for 102 days and lost 26 pounds. They talk about how “GLP-3s” contain semaglutide, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon — hormones that help reduce appetite and burn fat. There’s some truth in this, but it’s definitely not that simple.
If you search retatrutide on TikTok and Instagram, you’ll find several influencers giving tips on dosing “reta,” influencers asking followers to DM them or head to linktrees for “reputable” vendors complete with discount codes. Some are bodybuilders who claim they’re simply into optimizing their bodies and looking for anything to give them an edge. Many hastily add that they’re not medical professionals, that this is their experience only, and everything they’re saying is for “research and educational purposes” only. In the comments, you’ll see dozens of people asking where to get this miracle peptide.
This only took about five minutes of searching on TikTok to find. Screenshot: TikTok
These creators almost never mention that retatrutide currently hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The experimental drug from Eli Lilly is currently undergoing phase three clinical trials, and while it’s yielded promising preliminary results under strict trial conditions, it’s not been deemed safe for the market yet. The majority don’t educate viewers that the FDA has issued warnings to six companies — five in the US and one in Germany — for selling the unapproved drug via the gray market.
Welcome to the wellness wild west.
After about five minutes on TikTok, I click on a random influencer’s linktree and enter their 10 percent discount code. I’m able to stick a 10mg vial of “peptide-R” plus a free supply of bacteriostatic water into my cart. You see, I’d have to manually reconstitute a powdered version of “peptide-R” with bacteriostatic water to use it. All over the site, there are warnings stating that this particular pharmacy is selling for “research” only, not medical or personal use. However, I’m not required to provide any proof that I’m a lab researcher when I check out. With that discount, I successfully order a vial costing $117 — $130 total with shipping.
This is significantly cheaper than the FDA-approved, brand-named GLP-1 medications out of pocket. While there are some introductory prices around $200–$400 monthly, most of these medications cost over $1,000 monthly unless covered by insurance. Even then, many insurance companies require prior authorization.
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