New York City, NY – Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company, has taken legal action against four telehealth companies that are selling unauthorized versions of their weight loss drug Zepbound and diabetes treatment Mounjaro. These companies, including Mochi Health, Fella Health, Willow Health, and Henry Meds, are accused of misleading consumers by offering untested and unapproved drugs, diverting them from Lilly’s approved medications.
According to Lilly, these telehealth companies are mass-marketing slightly altered versions of their drugs to evade FDA regulations. The company alleges that some sites are even selling formulations of the drugs that have not undergone proper testing, such as oral tablets and drops. Despite reaching out for comments, Mochi, Fella, Willow, and Henry Meds have remained silent on the matter.
The scarcity of Lilly’s diabetes drug, Mounjaro, in late 2022 led to pharmacies and outsourcing facilities creating compounded versions, a process known as compounding. This shortage also gave rise to the production of alternative weight loss medications, like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, through compounding GLP-1s, which has flourished online. Although the FDA declared an end to the drug shortage recently, some pharmacies continue to produce slightly altered versions of the drugs to avoid FDA scrutiny.
One of the telehealth companies being sued by Lilly, Mochi Health, has expressed intentions to continue selling compounded versions of tirzepatide, under the belief that offering personalized treatments would protect them legally. Lilly’s lawsuit alleges that Mochi Health’s CEO, Myra Ahmad, who is not a licensed physician, exerts undue influence over prescribing decisions, violating medical standards.
The legal action seeks to prevent the telehealth platforms from marketing or selling tirzepatide, although the resolution for these cases could potentially take several months to materialize. Lilly’s efforts aim to safeguard consumers from potential harm caused by the unauthorized distribution of their medications by these telehealth companies.