Retatrutide in South Africa: what it is, where it stands, who sells it

What retatrutide is

Retatrutide (development code LY3437943) is an experimental medicine made by Eli Lilly. It is a single molecule that acts on three hormone receptors at once: GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. That is why it is often called a "triple agonist", and why some sellers market it as "GLP-3", which is not an official name.

It is being studied for obesity and for conditions linked to it, including type 2 diabetes, knee osteoarthritis and sleep apnoea. The first large human results came from a 2023 phase 2 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Why we rate sellers

People in South Africa are buying retatrutide online regardless of its status. We can't tell you whether any product is safe or genuine, and we don't test products. What we can do is show which sellers are open about what they sell and who they are: whether they publish lab reports, how their customers rate them, and whether they give a real address, clear delivery terms and a returns policy.

The full ratings

We scored all 25 sellers we could find on lab reports, independent reviews, business details, delivery and price. The full ranking links to a review of each one. Read how we rate.

Its status in South Africa

We searched SAHPRA's register of medicines on 30 September 2026. It returned no entries for retatrutide or LY3437943, so it is not registered for sale here, and no retatrutide trials are listed at South African sites on ClinicalTrials.gov.

SAHPRA has been direct about this. In November 2024 it named several retatrutide products in a statement on unauthorised and falsified GLP-1 products, and pointed out that selling an unregistered medicine is an offence under the Medicines and Related Substances Act. In July 2026 a SAHPRA spokesperson told the Mail & Guardian that retatrutide is still under clinical investigation and not yet available in any market.

Most of what is sold online is labelled "for research use only". That label does not make a product registered, and it tells you nothing about what is in the vial.

How it differs from Ozempic and Mounjaro

Semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy) acts on one receptor, GLP-1. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) acts on two, GIP and GLP-1. Retatrutide adds a third, glucagon. Both semaglutide and tirzepatide are registered by SAHPRA and available on prescription in South Africa. Retatrutide is not.

The main phase 3 obesity trial of each medicine reported these average changes in body weight:

Ranges cover the trial's treatment groups. The trials enrolled different people for different lengths of time and did not compare the medicines directly, so the figures are not a head-to-head result. TRIUMPH-1 figures are from Lilly's announcement, not yet a full journal paper.

Where the research stands

Lilly's phase 3 programme, called TRIUMPH, is made up of more than ten trials in thousands of people. Several have now finished:

• December 2025: first phase 3 results, from TRIUMPH-4 in people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis.
• May 2026: results from TRIUMPH-1, the main obesity trial. Lilly reported an average weight reduction of 28.3% at 80 weeks on the highest dose studied. Skin sensations known as dysaesthesia were more common than on placebo.
• July 2026: results from TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3. The TRIUMPH-2 paper was published in The Lancet on 29 September 2026.

These figures come from controlled trials with medical supervision and a known medicine. They don't predict what happens outside a trial, and a product bought online is not the trial medicine.

What comes next

Retatrutide is not approved anywhere yet. BioPharma Dive reported on 23 July 2026 that Lilly now plans to file with the US FDA in the first quarter of 2027. A South African registration would need its own application to SAHPRA, and there is no public timeline for one.

How to report a side effect or a suspect seller

1. Stop using the product and speak to a doctor or pharmacist. If symptoms are severe, get emergency care.
2. Keep the evidence: the packaging, the batch number, your receipt, the seller's details and screenshots of the listing and any messages.
3. Report the side effect to SAHPRA through its Med Safety app (choose South Africa when you open it) or the eReporting portal on SAHPRA's website. SAHPRA says both can be used for suspected side effects and for quality problems with health products.
4. Report the seller to SAHPRA on 0800 204 307, or use the "Complaints Relating to Medicine and Medical Devices" form on its website.