A next-generation Eli Lilly weight-loss drug that hasn't even been submitted for FDA review is already spawning a rash of cheap knockoffs that are being heavily touted on social media.

Why it matters: The experience with the drug, called retatrutide, shows how demand for GLP-1s and other peptides is outpacing the regulatory system.

• It's also supercharging a market driven by online influencers, medical spas and e-commerce platforms.

Driving the news: Eli Lilly recently filed six lawsuits against med spas, at least one compounding pharmacy and other vendors that the drugmaker said are stoking a black market for counterfeit retatrutide by pitching it as a weight-loss "hack."

• The company also is referring thousands of vendors and businesses to regulators and law enforcement, and pushing credit card processors and social media companies to cut off their ability to advertise and collect payments.

Between the lines: Lilly has gone to court before over unauthorized sales of its blockbuster weight-loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro. But retatrutide, a once-a-week injectable shown to help people lose up to 30% of their body weight, poses a different problem.

• There's a profusion of products marketed as retatrutide, despite the fact the drug isn't even approved for sale in the U.S. That's left Lilly fighting to protect future sales and guard against instances in which a product claiming to be its drug causes harm.
• Social media influencers have been touting knockoffs dubbed "r3ta" or "triple G." A quick Google search nets dozens of companies selling the drug for as much as $600.

The FDA has sent warning letters to multiple companies, some of which have labeled products for "research use only" while clearly pitching them for human consumption, an HHS official told Axios. The agency has also worked with state law enforcement.

• But experts question how much the agency can do with limited staff and resources and a black market that's already flourishing.

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The Trump administration on Friday took another step toward reshaping federal policy on childhood vaccines, inviting public comment on possible changes to how the shots are categorized.

Why it matters: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s move comes on the heels of President Trump's Aug. 10 order calling for fewer childhood vaccinations and for splitting the childhood MMR vaccine into three shots.

• It raises the possibility of new alternatives to a universal recommendation that could affect whether insurers cover the full cost of a vaccination.

Driving the news: The 10-page filing seeks comment on a childhood vaccine schedule that the administration dramatically overhauled in early January — changes that were later halted by a federal court.

• It invites input on adding to or changing the three categories now used — routine, based on risk for certain populations, or in consultation with physicians — with options like "recommended, but not during infancy" or "recommended with qualification."
• It doesn't list possible vaccines to include in those categories.
• The filing also addresses confusion and the possibility of reduced uptake of vaccines the government recommends getting only after consulting with a doctor.

What they're saying: The department is circling back to do a public comment process it skipped when it announced the January vaccine changes — but is treating those changes as settled, Stanford infectious diseases specialist Jake Scott wrote on X.

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Employers who've been reeling from near double-digit health cost increases the past three years can expect more of the same in 2027, according to new projections from benefits consultant Aon.

Why it matters: Companies and their workers are locked in one of the most sustained periods of health care inflation in decades — and the trend lines are sure to intensify affordability concerns.

Driving the news: Rising demand for health services, more chronic disease and increased use of drugs like GLP-1s will help drive up employer health costs 9.5% next year — to more than $19,000 per employee, Aon said.

• Workers this year are expected to pay an average of $5,297 for health coverage, counting payroll contributions and out-of-pocket spending. That's $388 more than in 2025.
• There's also more cost pressure from the increased use of AI in billing and coding, which leads to more detailed documentation and contributes to higher charges in some cases.

The big picture: Employer health care cost increases have more than doubled since 2022, rising from 3.7% to 8.8% in 2026.

Between the lines: Employers who historically have had limited bandwidth to push back health costs are getting more proactive. Companies on average are responsible for about 82% of health plan costs, per Aon.

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💉 Personalized mRNA shots like Moderna's cancer vaccine may prove neither as far-reaching nor as lucrative as hoped. (WSJ)

🌱 A food-poisoning outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts and involving multiple germs has sickened people in 15 states. (AP)

⚕️ HHS launched an effort to improve the response to missing autistic individuals. (Reuters)