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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Josie Clarke

Why weight loss drug adverts have been banned for the first time in the UK

United Kingdom Weight Loss
  • The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned advertisements for oral weight-loss medicines, marking the first enforcement action of its kind against the public promotion of these treatments.
  • Simple Online Pharmacy was found to have illegally marketed oral GLP-1 products to the public before they received regulatory approval in the UK .
  • Pharmacy Online breached advertising rules by promoting oral Wegovy tablets directly to consumers after the drug was licensed as a prescription-only medicine.
  • Further rulings were issued against MedExpress, Juniper, and Care Pharmacy for indirectly advertising prescription-only weight-loss drugs to the public.
  • The ASA and the MHRA warned that irresponsibly promoting powerful prescription weight-loss treatments directly to consumers puts public safety at risk.

IN FULL

First ads for ‘powerful’ weight loss pills banned by watchdog

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