The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the General Pharmaceutical Council have issued a warning to businesses seeking to promote newly licensed prescription-only and unlicensed medicines for weight management.
The MHRA said on 18 June 2026 that it has seen recent examples of businesses promoting pipeline products, such as newer forms of oral and injectable products used for weight management, including waiting lists for these products.
The agency also noted examples of promotion of newly licensed oral GLP-1s, which are prescription-only medicines.
Jess Tye, Regulatory Projects Manager, ASA, said: “The weight-management sector is fast-moving, and we regularly see new approaches in advertising from businesses.
“We remain vigilant to these changes and will continue to act swiftly to take action where advertisers are not sticking to the rules.
“We expect advertisers to heed this warning to protect consumers and maintain a level playing field for businesses.”
The CAP Code
The CAP Code states that medicines must have an MHRA licence before they are marketed and that prescription-only medications cannot be advertised to the public.
The warning highlighted that referencing products that are either still subject to regulatory review or classed as a prescription-only medication by name, or using language like ‘GLP-1 tablets’, ‘oral GLP-1s’, or ‘the new weight-loss tablets’ will likely constitute a breach of the Code.
Julian Beach, Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access, MHRA, said: “Medicinal products are not ordinary consumer goods, and improper use or overconsumption may have serious health consequences.
“The Human Medicines Regulations, including those provisions that relate to advertising of medicines, exist to protect the public.
“These Regulations prohibit the advertisement of a medicinal product for which there is no Marketing Authorisation in force.
“Creating consumer demand for a medicinal product by promotion of such a product before any UK regulatory appraisal for safety, quality and efficacy and subsequent authorisation has been completed is not permitted.”
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