Eli Lilly has sued three more companies that claim to be selling versions of tirzepatide, the main ingredient in the drugmaker’s weight loss treatment Zepbound.
The companies sued by Lilly include an online men’s health retailer, a medical spa and what Reuters described as a seller of research-grade chemicals.
A representative for Lilly told Endpoints News that the company “filed three lawsuits today against entities engaging in conduct that poses serious risks to patient safety,” adding that “no one should ever be allowed to sell these untested, non-human grade or manipulated drugs to American consumers.”
Lilly’s actions mark the first lawsuits since tirzepatide was officially removed from the FDA’s drug shortages list. When medications are put on the FDA’s drug shortages list, compounding pharmacies can make their own versions of the drugs.
In the US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Lilly is suing Genesis Lifestyle Medicine of Nevada, a medical spa, alleging that the company’s website and advertising are being used to “communicate falsely to consumers that Genesis’s untested, unapproved drug is clinically tested and proven to facilitate weight loss and improve blood sugar,” according to court documents.
In another court case in Texas, Lilly is suing MangoRx for trademark infringement. According to the company’s website, it sells a compounded product called Trim that uses the “power” of tirzepatide. The company’s stock $MGRX dipped about 7% on Monday following reports of the lawsuit.
In a statement, MangoRx denied Lilly’s claims and said it “believes it has strong arguments against Eli Lilly’s claims and intends to vigorously defend itself in this matter.”
The third company sued by Lilly is Pivotal Peptides, which also received a cease-and-desist letter from Lilly. An Instagram that appears to be associated with the company has since been deleted. A website for the company is also no longer active, according to Reuters.
Lilly has been active in court, filing six lawsuits in June against med spas and wellness centers claiming to sell compounded versions of its drug. Last year, it filed lawsuits against companies in September and October, claiming that the competitors were selling lower-grade versions of tirzepatide.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a comment from MangoRx.