Starts with a T
Pivotal Peptides – which is not a licensed pharmacy or pharmacy – did not respond to the letter. Instead, the website was updated to indicate it was “down for maintenance,” and the company instructed customers to email them directly. About ten days later, Pivotal Peptides' registered agent, Elizabeth Gately, then sent an email (which Lilly received) instructing customers to place tirzepatide orders in encrypted language.
“Good news,” the email read, “Pivotal Peptides… is still active!”
“If a favorite product (starting with T) was your favorite product, that name can no longer be used in correspondence with me or listed on my price list,” Gately allegedly wrote. “Therefore, I need a different identification and have decided (for now) to call this peptide '11 mg.'
Gately further said that the product is codenamed “Pivotal Peptide's [sic] bestseller,” and “it is the only T size currently available from PP, except by special order.” The letter ended with: “Remember to order '11 mg' with the latest price to identify the product you want , if applicable, and no longer use T in our communications.”
Pivotal Peptides did not respond to Ars' request for comment.
In an emailed statement to Ars, a Lilly spokesperson said Pivotal Peptides and the other companies Lilly is suing are engaging in “conduct that poses serious risks to patient safety.” In the lawsuit, Lilly notes that even children could order this research-grade DIY drug.
“No one should ever sell these untested, non-human, or engineered drugs to American consumers,” the statement continued.
Lilly's lawsuits come amid a legal firestorm over compounded versions of tirzepatide, which can be legally made by licensed pharmacies as long as there is a shortage of tirzepatide. On October 2, the Food and Drug Administration announced an end to the shortage, but then decided to reconsider the decision after being sued by compounding pharmacies.
On several occasions, the FDA has warned of safety concerns associated with compounded versions of GLP-1 weight loss medications.
