PUTRAJAYA, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) has warned the public against buying or using 'weight-loss pens' claimed to contain Retatrutide or Reta, as no products containing the drug are registered for use in Malaysia.
In a statement today, MOH said Retatrutide remains an investigational drug currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials.
"As of Aug 17, 2026, no product containing Retatrutide has been registered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) for use in Malaysia.
"Retatrutide is an investigational medicine undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials and has not received marketing approval from any regulatory authority in the world," read the statement.
The ministry noted that the online sale of weight loss products was becoming increasingly alarming, including injectable medicines offered directly to the public without examination, prescription or monitoring by registered medical practitioners.
"The use of such products or medicines without proper medical evaluation and monitoring can cause adverse effects and serious complications," the statement said.
According to MOH, the risks could escalate if adverse effects or complications experienced by users are not identified and treated promptly.
Between January and July this year, the Pharmacy Enforcement Division received 65 complaints and conducted 30 raids related to weight loss products, including 17 raids involving online sales, with total seizures valued at RM477,142.
"Throughout 2026, a total of 209 weight loss product advertisements, including those claiming to contain Retatrutide, were taken down from e-commerce platforms. Additionally, 1,243 advertisements across various media channels were identified, screened and acted upon," the statement added.
In view of this, MOH advised the public to ensure that weight loss products they intended to purchase were registered and approved for use, and obtained from legitimate sources.
Product registration status can be verified via the "Product Search" function on the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) website, while the authenticity of the FarmaTag hologram can be confirmed using the FarmaChecker feature on the MyUBAT application.
MOH warned that selling unregistered medicines was an offence under the Sale of Drugs Act 1952 [Act 368] and its related regulations, carrying a fine of up to RM50,000 for a first offence and RM100,000 for subsequent offences.
-- BERNAMA