Brazil Bans Unregistered Tirzepatide Brands and Retatrutide as Seizures Mount

Overview

• Anvisa published resolutions on Jan. 21 ordering the seizure and prohibiting manufacture, import, sale, advertising and use of tirzepatide from Synedica and TG, and of retatrutide from all brands, for lack of registration.
• Law enforcement reported fresh crackdowns, including an arrest in Brasilândia (MS) over Paraguayan tirzepatide and highway seizures in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro of vials marketed as Mounjaro analogues.
• Kellen Oliveira Bretas Antunes, 42, in Belo Horizonte was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré after using an illegal Lipoless injection and remains hospitalized with gradual improvement, according to her family.
• Independent analyses cited by clinicians found clandestine vials labeled as tirzepatide with purity as low as 7%–14% and undeclared substances, underscoring risks of contamination, misdosing and severe adverse effects.
• Eli Lilly says any liquid solution sold as tirzepatide outside official channels should be considered falsified, while reports show prohibited products like Lipoless still being advertised widely on social networks.