Patients in liver failure after using knock-off weight loss drug <\/a><\/p>\nMegan Hancocks bought a drug labelled as the peptide compound retatrutide in cash from a beautician. Within a week of her second dose, she was in acute liver failure.<\/p>\n
The testing of the vial of retatrutide was arranged and paid for by researchers at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) School of Public Health and harm reduction organisation PED Test Australia.<\/p>\n
It was conducted by a laboratory that is accredited for chemical testing by the National Association of Testing Authorities.<\/p>\n
Associate research fellow Benjamin Bonenti, who is part of the UQ team that researches the harm of some peptides, said the testing revealed a “big problem”.<\/p>\n
“Double the dose of these types of drugs is a massive difference \u2026 it shows the market cannot be taken at face value,” Mr Bonenti said.<\/p>\n
![\"Associate](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7fb6eca75c66b099f7bedb22b1e66fe7.jpeg\")
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Benjamin Bonenti is part of the UQ team that researches the harm of some peptides. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
“We can say that it is exposing [people who use peptides] to some potentially serious health risks.”<\/p>\n
Mr Bonenti said consuming retatrutide at a higher dose could have “very significant” consequences.<\/p>\n
“This drug belongs to the same broad class \u2026 as Ozempic-style weight loss drugs, and it acts on multiple hormone pathways that are involved in appetite, metabolism and blood sugar,” he said.<\/p>\n
“So to double the dose of a drug acting on these pathways, we know for certain with similar drugs like steroids, that it can have drastic effects on the body.”<\/p>\n
He said in the controlled environment of clinical trials, retatrutide was showing “some positive effects”, but unapproved peptides bought online could contain incorrect dosing and contaminants.<\/p>\n
“You don’t know what you’re getting.”<\/p>\n
Mr Bonenti said his research team is analysing more than just the one vial of retatrutide to more accurately paint a picture of potential harm.<\/p>\n
“More research is required, further testing, further tracking is absolutely required because \u2026 who knows what they got? It may not have been dosed correctly.”<\/p>\n
‘Losing 8 litres of fluid a day’ on retatrutide<\/p>\n
Dr Holt, a gastroenterologist who focuses on the digestive system, including the stomach, intestines and liver, treated patients who had “become very unwell” after injecting high doses of retatrutide.<\/p>\n
“A young man \u2026 escalated his dose of retatrutide, he experienced secretory diarrhoea, which was very severe, and he was admitted to hospital requiring a lot of intravenous fluid rehydration,” Dr Holt said.<\/p>\n
“He was having loose, watery, large-volume bowel actions every one to two hours, including overnight, and losing what we estimated to be eight litres of fluid a day.<\/p>\n
“He was really unwell, and I think if he hadn’t been in hospital, then he would be in a very bad way.”<\/p>\n
![\"Melbourne-based](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e98f53348c64c0d3c66e20155cb93263.jpeg\")
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Darcy Holt says the potential for overdose is enormous. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Dr Holt said a recently published report highlighted a similar case.<\/p>\n
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer and the medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, have warned Australians not to take unapproved peptides, saying they were often poorly labelled and presented a health risk.<\/p>\n
Retatrutide sounded ‘enticing’<\/p>\n
The vial of retatrutide that was tested by the Melbourne laboratory was purchased by a woman, who asked to remain anonymous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She contacted the ABC’s Specialist Reporting Team and sent the peptide to the laboratory for testing.<\/p>\n
The woman said a friend suggested she buy retatrutide from an online supplier because her GLP-1 prescription had gotten “cost-prohibitive”.<\/p>\n
She said retatrutide use was “normalised” in her social circles.<\/p>\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/144efd623fbac52761bbe35490b98a3e.jpeg\")
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The vial of retatrutide that was tested by the Melbourne laboratory was purchased by a woman, who asked to remain anonymous. (ABC News: Berge Breiland)<\/p>\n
“I guess it’s just quite enticing, because you’re talking to people who are using it who are like, ‘Oh my God, it’s like transformative, and my skin’s amazing, and I’ve lost all this weight,'” she said.<\/p>\n
“It sounds like an easier, cheaper pathway.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of hype and desire out there for them, and I’m sure that the few people who’ve had bad experiences are getting a bit drowned out at the moment by all of the buzz.”<\/p>\n
The woman said when the vial of retatrutide arrived in the mail, she “chickened out” of using it.<\/p>\n
“My self-preservation kicked in \u2026 I respect the medical profession, and I can certainly see the risks.”<\/p>\n
Unregulated peptide popularity prompts cancer warning <\/a><\/p>\nSkin specialists sound alarm over unregulated peptides at heart of social media-driven beauty craze.<\/p>\n
She said it was “concerning \u2026 but not hugely surprising” that the vial contained nearly double the retatrutide than what the label advertised.<\/p>\n
Mr Bonenti said UQ researchers hoped to improve public education through their research and testing of unapproved peptides.<\/p>\n
“[The data] can influence policy and do things like ensure there is increased public awareness, increased testing \u2026 it forms the basis of the science that is known about these risks,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a critical piece of harm reduction in this area.”<\/p>\n
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