Asian Tech Press (Oct 20) -- Eli Lilly and Company said Thursday it sued 11 online pharmacies to prevent them from importing, selling and distributing products that contain the active ingredient in the company's diabetes drug Mounjaro.

Mounjaro is expected to get approved for weight loss later this year.

Eli Lilly said it will file the lawsuit with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

It named U.S.-based Artic Peptides, Strate Labs, Supoptide, The Triggered Brand and Unewlife as defendants, as well as the U.K.-based Biolabshop, Spain's Super Human Store and Poland's Steroide Kaufen.

Meanwhile, China's Audrey Beauty, Mew Mews Company and AustroPeptide are also defendants in the lawsuit.

Eli Lilly said that tests on AustroPeptide's products claiming to contain tirzepatide, the main ingredient in Mounjaro, showed that it was in fact nothing more than "a sugar alcohol".

The ITC has the authority to issue import bans on products that violate U.S. trade laws and to remove them from the market once they enter the United States.

Once the complaint is published in the Federal Register, the ITC will have 30 days to decide whether to accept it.

Eli Lilly alleged that the online pharmacies infringed on its Mounjaro trademark by falsely associating the online pharmacies with Eli Lilly and with the approved tirzepatide products, and by making false or misleading statements in advertisements related to tirzepatide.

"In reality, the unapproved drug products are dangerous research chemicals that are not approved for human consumption and have no connection to Eli Lilly or Mounjaro," the company said in the lawsuit.

Eli Lilly is the only company approved by the FDA to sell tirzepatide products.

Just a month ago, Eli Lilly sued 10 U.S. medical spas, wellness clinics and compounding pharmacies in U.S. federal courts in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Utah for allegedly selling products claiming to contain tirzepatide.