So-called “Reta Pens” are rapidly gaining traction on social media, where influencers and sellers tout them as a next-generation weight loss jab capable of dramatic results.
The drug is still undergoing worldwide regulatory review but is already being promoted online as the next “miracle” slimming injection.
ALSO READ : Illicit weight loss products come with serious health risks, say experts
The Star’s probe found sellers touting retatrutide in pre-filled injectable pens and vials, which are already widely available online through social media and other platforms, with prices ranging from RM250 for 10mg to as high as RM788.
The product is linked to retatrutide, which is being developed by an American pharmaceutical company and is an experimental obesity treatment reported to help patients lose up to 28.3% of their body weight.
However, the company only announced on May 21 that the drug had successfully completed Phase 3 clinical trials, meaning it has yet to receive approval from health regulators, including the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Malaysia’s Health Ministry, for public use.
As retatrutide is an investigational medicine that has not been approved by the FDA, it is only available to participants in clinical trials and cannot be legally purchased, prescribed or compounded.
On social media, sellers claimed the products are imported from South Korea and Germany although checks showed the websites’ domains are registered in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Kuala Lumpur, respectively.
Searches on the Health Ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency database yielded no results, indicating the products are not registered for use in Malaysia.
Fitness coaches, beauticians and even a government servant have been found promoting these Reta Pens online.
Some sellers also displayed third-party laboratory test reports, allegedly verifying the chemical contents of the products to convince buyers they are safe.
ALSO READ : Scammers peddling weight loss jabs online
Others claimed they were constantly restocking due to overwhelming demand.
“It is only sold underground in the black market because it has yet to be approved by the FDA,” one seller claimed when contacted.
“Gyms and aesthetic clinics are also asking for it,” he added.
One user, who wanted to be known only as Amy, said she switched from an approved weight loss drug to Reta Pens because of price.
“It is cheaper, so I started using Reta. It comes with the whole set and the seller teaches you how to use it,” she said.
Asked whether she was concerned that retatrutide remains an unapproved clinical trial drug, Amy said she was reassured after seeing her seller lose 10kg using the product.
ALSO READ : Retatrutide not registered with Drug Control Authority
A doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that the Reta Pens sold locally could very well be counterfeit products.
“I was approached by a supplier who wanted me to administer Reta Pens at my clinic. The person used the name of a purported local pharmaceutical company as the manufacturer and claimed some stocks were brought in from China,” she said.
She rejected the offer because retatrutide has not yet been approved for use.
The doctor said she had also received inquiries from patients requesting Reta Pens after seeing promotions on social media, revealing that even injections of an approved weight loss drug are being illegally sold online below market price.
At licensed clinics, authentic injections can cost between RM1,200 and RM3,500 depending on dosage and treatment frequency.
She explained that only doctors with a valid Annual Practising Certificate can purchase the product directly from pharmaceutical companies, and the injections are meant to be administered by medical professionals.
For this particular approved drug, a company in Malaysia is the exclusive marketing authorisation holder and distributor in the country.
However, illicit versions are being sold online for as low as RM500, with many believed to be sourced from India.
“It is sold cheaper because it does not come with proper cold-chain handling, where the jab must be refrigerated at 2°C during transit,” she said.
“That means the product could already be compromised by the time it reaches Malaysia. At proper clinics, doctors will also conduct health assessments before administering the injections,” she added, stressing that such drugs should never be taken without medical supervision.
In April, the Border Control and Protection Agency foiled separate attempts to smuggle unregistered pharmaceutical products worth RM7.7mil through KL International Airport. More than 12,000 syringes believed to contain tirzepatide were seized.
The same month, Indian authorities also cracked down on a syndicate producing fake injections using raw materials sourced from an e-commerce platform.
