Eli Lilly has taken legal action against spa owners, wellness centres and pharmacies for unauthorised versions of its best fat-busting drug Mounjaro.
Four separate lawsuits have been filed against outlets selling products they claim contain tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro.
Originally a diabetes treatment, interest in Mounjaro has rocketed following an indication it will be approved as a weight loss drug as well later in the year.
The pharmacies are being sued for violating federal and state consumer protection and competition laws by selling unregulated versions of Mounjaro.
Lilly is the only pharma with FDA approval to make and sell drugs containing tirzepatide.
"Defendants use Lilly’s trademark to attract customers and generate revenues and profits, including by passing off as 'Mounjaro' their own unapproved compounded drugs purporting to contain tirzepatide, and doing so for a use for which Mounjaro is not approved, namely weight loss," Eli Lilly said in the lawsuits.
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has also sued medical spas this year for selling unauthorised versions of its fat-busting drug Wegovy.