In short:
Senior doctors at a Melbourne hospital are warning people not to take counterfeit weight-loss drugs labelled as “retatrutide” after seeing multiple cases of life-threatening illness.
Among them is a woman who found herself in acute liver failure within a week of her second dose of the drug, who has ongoing health issues six months later.
The US developers of the drug called retratrutide say it is still in a clinical testing phase, and that anyone purchasing products sold under its name is getting an untested and unregulated medication.
"Megan Hancocks, 32, became interested in reta after seeing videos and posts on TikTok and Instagram, but could not find where to buy it.
Late last year during a beauty appointment, she mentioned her interest in the drug to a clinician who told her she had a selection of off-market peptides bought from a Chinese manufacturer available for purchase in cash."
What even is a clinician in this context? Someone who works in a beauty clinic?
Even so ruined health and ruined life is a steep price to pay for getting health information and substances from unqualified people
