FDA Issues Warnings to 30 Telehealth Companies Against Illegal Marketing of Compounded GLP-1 Medications

The FDA signaled a major shift in its oversight of the pharmaceutical market, issuing warning letters to 30 telehealth companies for making false or misleading claims regarding compounded glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) products. This move marks a significant escalation in the agency's crackdown on deceptive pharmaceutical advertisements, particularly those targeting consumers through digital platforms.¹

“It’s a new era. We are paying close attention to misleading claims being made by telehealth and pharma companies across all media platforms—and taking swift action,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, said in a news release.¹ “Compounded drugs can be important for overcoming shortages or meeting unique patient needs—but compounders should not try to compound drugs in a way that circumvents FDA’s approval process."

Over the past 6 months, the agency has sent thousands of warning letters to various firms—a volume exceeding the total number of such letters sent over the entire preceding decade.¹

The primary violations identified by the FDA involve companies implying their compounded versions are identical to FDA-approved products and obscuring the actual source of the medication. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, meaning the agency does not review their safety, effectiveness, or quality before they reach the market.¹

Furthermore, the FDA clarified that these compounded products are not the same as generic drugs, which do undergo a rigorous approval process. The misleading claims often involve branding the drugs with a telehealth firm’s name or trademark without qualification, which falsely implies the firm itself is the compounder.¹

This regulatory surge comes as drug promotion on social media faces intense scrutiny for lacking essential risk information. A study published in JAMA recently highlighted that high-engagement social media posts regarding GLP-1 receptor agonists and other drug classes frequently lack transparency. Many of these posts, often created by influencers or patients rather than pharmaceutical companies, fail to disclose sponsorships or provide necessary information about medication risks.²

Researchers found that although efficacy claims appeared in nearly 70% of the explored posts, risk information was mentioned in only about a third of them. This creates a skewed information environment for patients, with many who are encouraged to seek out drugs that could have detrimental impacts on their health without a full understanding of the potential adverse effects.²

The current landscape of digital marketing is rooted in a historical regulatory shift from 1997, when the discovery of an adequate provision loophole allowed manufacturers to advertise drugs without fully disclosing adverse effects. This led to an explosion in direct-to-consumer advertising that has, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, resulted in public deception and inappropriate demand for products.²

Today, the challenge is amplified by millions of individual social media users and influencers who are much harder to regulate than traditional pharmaceutical manufacturers. Experts note that although the federal government is attempting to expand oversight, the sheer volume of content creators makes effective enforcement difficult.²

The legal battle over GLP-1 marketing has also reached the courts, with Novo Nordisk filing a lawsuit against the telehealth company Hims & Hers. The manufacturer of semaglutide (Ozempic; Wegovy) alleges that Hims has engaged in promotional campaigns that dupe consumers and health care professionals regarding the safety and clinical benefits of unapproved and compounded semaglutide products. Novo Nordisk reported that their own testing of certain compounded injectable semaglutide drugs revealed impurities as high as 86%. Such impurities, even in small amounts, can lead to life-threatening immune responses, including anaphylactic shock, or result in hospitalizations due to incorrect active ingredient levels.^3,4

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Medical Association have both voiced concerns, with the ADA specifically discouraging the use of compounded GLP-1s due to uncertainty regarding their quality and effectiveness. Novo Nordisk has emphasized that with the supply of authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy and Ozempic now fully available nationwide in the US, there is no medical necessity for patients to "gamble" with knock-off products.^3,4

As the FDA continues its swift action against misleading claims, pharmacists remain on the front lines, tasked with educating patients about the risks of unverified compounded alternatives in an increasingly complex digital marketplace.^3,4

READ MORE: FDA Updates

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REFERENCES

1. FDA warns 30 telehealth companies against illegal marketing of compounded GLP-1s. News release. FDA. March 3, 2026. Accessed March 4, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-30-telehealth-companies-against-illegal-marketing-compounded-glp-1s

2. Nowosielski B. Drug promotion on social media lacks risk information. Drug Topics. November 15, 2025. Accessed March 4, 2026. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/drug-promotion-on-social-media-lacks-risk-information

3. Novo Nordisk takes legal action against Hims & Hers to protect patients from unsafe, knock-off Wegovy and Ozempic. News release. Novo Nordisk. February 9, 2026. Accessed March 4, 2026. https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=916493

4. Novo Nordisk issues statement on illegal mass compounding and deceptive advertising by Hims & Hers. News release. Novo Nordisk. February 5, 2026. Accessed March 4, 2026. https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=916489