The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned nine advertisements by companies offering prescription-only weight-loss drugs to the public.
The regulator said the promotions violated UK law and were contrary to its own rules.
The rulings follow a rise in public interest in drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which the ASA said had “become part of a national conversation” and a “central plank” in government health plans to tackle obesity.
Despite the growing demand, the ASA warned that its duty is to protect the public from irresponsible and unlawful advertising of prescription-only medicines (POMs).
Companies Named in ASA Rulings
The ASA published formal rulings against the following companies:
- Chequp Health Ltd: Two paid social media advertisements described its service as “the UK’s most effective weight loss treatment” and stated it required “no GP or pharmacy visit, just a 2 minute online consultation.” The landing page featured an image of a medical injection pen, labelled “Mounjaro.”
- Express Healthcare Ltd (trading as pharmacyonline.co.uk): Two paid-for Google search ads used the phrase “obesity treatment jab” and showed a package featuring a vial of liquid.
- Hexpress Healthcare Ltd (trading as HealthExpress.co.uk): Two social media ads promoted “clinically proven weight loss treatments after completing a quick online consultation” and included an image of a partially visible, branded injection pen and a price per pen.
Rulings were similarly upheld on paid search results or social media ads for Juniper Technologies UK Ltd, PharmaRx Ltd (trading as Cloud Pharmacy), SemaPen Ltd, and for two promotions by Phlo Technologies Ltd ( Phlo Clinic).
The ASA also ruled against Yazen Health AB, a Swedish digital healthcare provider trading as Yazen, for a paid Instagram post featuring TV personality Gemma Collins.
Following the rulings, the banned adverts must not appear again in their current form.
Breach Without Naming Specific Drugs
The ASA stressed that adverts do not need to name a specific medicine to be in breach of the law. General phrases such as “weight-loss pen” or “obesity treatment jab” are also prohibited if they imply promotion of POMs.
The authority said the action was part of “an ongoing, multipronged” approach using artificial intelligence-based tools to actively monitor digital advertising and investigate violations.
The ASA reiterated that weight-loss medicines are powerful treatments that should only be prescribed after consultation with a medical professional and with appropriate supervision. “They are not a cosmetic treatment to be used without serious consideration, and advertisers should not be promoting them to the public,” the regulator stated.
The ASA issued a warning to weight-loss drug advertisers in December, urging them to withdraw unlawful promotions and highlighting the “clear and significant risk of harm” such ads pose, particularly to vulnerable audiences.
Concerns about weight-loss can have negative impacts, including on the body confidence of both men and women, it added. The ASA also warned that no weight-loss drug is approved for people who are not clinically obese. Although most side effects are mild, some can be serious.
Cultural Concerns and Ongoing Action
In February, the ASA banned an advert by fashion brand Next, citing concerns that a female model’s pose and camera angle gave the impression she was “unhealthily thin.” A fashion journalist told the BBC in November that the popularity of weight-loss injections may be helping drive a trend towards using skinny models .
The ASA said it remains focused on prevention as well as enforcement. It has written to health and beauty practitioners, trade bodies, pharmacies, drug companies, advertisers, and agencies to raise awareness of the rules.
In April, the agency announced a joint effort with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to crack down on unlawful online advertising of weight-loss drugs.
Between December and January, the ASA identified around 1800 unique paid-for weight-loss adverts as potentially promoting POMs. By March, 600 more had appeared. A quarter of 20 advertisers who had featured, named weight-loss POMs were still running the ads, despite prior warnings.
The ASA, MHRA, and GPhC have issued a joint enforcement notice reminding advertisers: “No POM may be advertised to the public.” They warned that enforcement actions could follow for continued breaches.
Dr Sheena Meredith is an established medical writer, editor, and consultant in healthcare communications, with extensive experience writing for medical professionals and the general public. She is qualified in medicine and in law and medical ethics.