Eli Lilly, a major drug company, has introduced a new ad campaign cautioning customers against unapproved weight-loss medications. The step has been interpreted as a measure to combat competition from compounded versions of its weight-reduction medication, Zepbound, promoted by telehealth businesses and compounding pharmacies.

Key Highlights:
Ad Campaign for Unregulated Weight-Loss Drugs

• The campaign cautions against untested and possibly counterfeit weight-loss treatments marketed online and through compounding pharmacies.

• The commercial encourages consumers to "be a healthy skeptic" and check the quality and source of weight-loss treatments prior to use.

Reaction to Super Bowl Commercial from Telemedicine Company Hims & Hers:

• The campaign follows closely on the heels of Hims & Hers' airing of a Super Bowl commercial for a compounded weight-loss medication based on Novo Nordisk's Wegovy.

• Hims' advertisement came under fire for omitting safety labeling on the custom medications.

Regulatory Issues Involving Compounded Medicines:

• Weight-reduction compounded medications are formulated through blending or drug ingredient manipulation, which is legal under federal policy only in situations where there's a shortage of the initial medication.

• The American FDA just dropped Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy from its list of short-supplied medications, and the compounded equivalents would soon become an illegal status quo.

• Both Lilly and Novo Nordisk have also pursued legal action against compounding pharmacies and medical spas for their sales of unauthorized copies of their weight-loss medications.

Statements from Industry Leaders:
Eli Lilly's Ad Statement:
"Before anything enters your body, be cautious of what is in it, be cautious of where it is coming from, be cautious of who is regulating its manufacture."

Novo Nordisk's Prior Warning:
"Check before you inject."

With increased demand for weight-loss medication, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are moving aggressively to safeguard their market share and suppress unauthorized compounded forms of their drugs. As regulatory attention grows, patients are encouraged to check the authenticity of weight-loss drugs and consult with healthcare professionals prior to use.