Eli Lilly has filed a lawsuit against four telehealth platforms selling compounded versions of its blockbuster metabolic disorder drug tirzepatide, marking the latest power struggle between weight loss drug developers and the compounding sector.
Mochi Health Corp, Fella Health and Delilah, Willow Health Services, and Henry Meds are the named companies in Eli Lilly鈥檚 lawsuits.
These businesses piggybacked on the burgeoning compounded GLP-1RA market after Eli Lilly鈥檚 tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro for weight loss and type 2 diabetes respectively, was declared in short supply in 2022.聽
With the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) back in supply, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set deadlines of 18 February and 19 March for pharmacies and outsourcing facilities respectively to stop producing compounded tirzepatide.
In lawsuits reported by , Eli Lilly said that the telehealth companies are falsely claiming to sell 鈥榩ersonalised鈥� compounded tirzepatide. Whilst FDA legislation allows compounded drugs to be made when the commercial drug is in shortage, it also extends to non-shortage conditions as long as the drug offered to patients is tailored by dose. 聽
Mochi Health, one of those implicated, is one of the largest telehealth providers of compounded GLP-1RAs. Eli Lilly maintains that Mochi is peddling the 鈥榩ersonalised line鈥� unfaithfully, instead selling 鈥渕ass-manufactured, untested, and unapproved one-size fits-all compounded drugs.鈥�
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By GlobalDataAn Eli Lilly spokesperson told 天美传媒app Technology: 鈥淸The telehealth companies] are deceptively marketing knockoff tirzepatide as safe and effective for 鈥榗osmetic weight loss鈥�, improperly practising medicine or influencing medical decisions, and falsely claiming to sell 鈥榩ersonalised鈥� compounded tirzepatide.鈥�
Mochi Health, which also develops a compounded version of Novo Nordisk鈥檚 GLP-1RA semaglutide, did not immediately respond to 天美传媒app Technology when asked for comment on the lawsuit.
In an email to 天美传媒app Technology in March 2025, Mochi Health鈥檚 CEO Dr Myra Ahmad stated: 鈥淸We] will continue to provide compounded GLP-1RAs, even after the FDA has resolved the semaglutide shortage. Mochi can maintain these under personalised treatment plans because the medication prescribed to the patient is not a replica of the well-known brand-name medications.鈥�
The lawsuits are just the latest in a long line of legal avenues travelled by Eli Lilly in an attempt to crack down on the compounded GLP-1RA market. More than two dozen medical spas, wellness centres, and compounding pharmacies have been the target of lawsuits by the US drugmaker.
鈥淔DA and a federal court have both made clear that compounders 鈥渕ust cease production鈥� of compounded tirzepatide knockoffs, and anyone continuing to sell mass compounded tirzepatide is breaking the law and deceiving patients. We will continue to take action to stop those who threaten patient safety and urgently call on regulators and law enforcement to do the same,鈥� the Eli Lilly spokesperson added.
Eli Lilly also pointed to safety concerns surrounding compounded tirzepatide. Notably, the company highlighted a warning letter issued by the FDA to Empower Clinic Services, a compounding pharmacy sued by Eli Lilly on 1 April, detailing safety shortcomings.
Novo Nordisk is treading familiar ground with its semaglutide products Wegovy, for weight loss, and Ozempic, for diabetes treatment. The Danish pharma company has sued its fair share of companies selling compounded semaglutide. The deadline for pharmacies and outsourcing facilities to cease production of compounded semaglutide is on 22 April and 22 May, respectively.
