Overview

• New ASA rulings have outlawed adverts of prescription-only weight-loss injections, barring the use of phrases like “weight loss injections” and “weight loss pen” and requiring marketing to be part of a genuine consultation service.
• The ASA, MHRA and GPhC published a joint enforcement notice to confirm that named drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic and Saxenda are off-limits in public-facing ads, including influencer posts.
• The ASA’s AI-powered monitoring system processed 28 million ads in 2024 and identified over 20,000 from priority pharmacies, of which 10,000 promoted weight-loss treatments.
• Industry experts have urged the introduction of graduated financial penalties tied to company turnover to address patient safety and over-medicalisation risks.
• Private online demand for GLP-1 treatments remains strong despite the Health Secretary’s plans to broaden NHS availability.