ASA Bans Four Ads for Prescription Weight-Loss Pills
Advertising watchdog rules that promotions for Voy and others created impression of marketing prescription-only medicines to the public.
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Four advertisements promoting prescription-only weight-loss medicines have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The watchdog determined that the ads, including one displayed on the side of a London bus, created the impression they were marketing oral Wegovy tablets directly to the public.
The Voy advert, part of the company's “The weight is over campaign”, featured a hand holding a white pill with the headline “The weight is over…Voy”. A second Voy advert, shown on video-on-demand services, used the wording “Oral weight support”. Both ads included smaller text referring to a glucomannan food supplement. However, the ASA found that these references were insufficient to alter the overall impression that prescription-only medicines were being advertised.
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Misleading Impressions
The ASA stated that prescription-only medicines cannot be advertised to the public. The authority ruled that the imagery and wording in the banned adverts were likely to lead consumers to believe they were promoting the recently licensed oral Wegovy tablets. The video-on-demand advert also directed users to a website that featured prescription-only weight-loss medicines, further contributing to the ASA's decision.
Similar bans were issued for adverts by Juniper and MedExpress. A YouTube ad for Juniper stated “The weight loss pill is here”, while an Instagram ad for MedExpress promoted “New weight loss tablets” and “No needles”, inviting people to join a waitlist. These promotions were also deemed to be advertising unlicensed and prescription-only products.
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Catherine Drewett, investigations manager at the ASA, commented that advertisers must consider the overall impression their campaigns create. She added that references to non-medicinal products in small print do not necessarily negate an impression of promoting prescription-only medicines. The ASA stated it is actively monitoring this sector.
Regulatory Cooperation
Julian Beach, executive director of operations at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), confirmed the agency collaborates with the ASA to address inappropriate medicine advertising. He stated, “Prescription medicines are not consumer goods, and promoting them can have serious impacts on public health. These safeguards are there to protect people and support appropriate treatment decisions between patients and their healthcare professionals.”
Voy's chief medical officer, Dr Earim Chaudry, stated that the company's campaigns were developed to align with UK advertising standards and that the advert in question was withdrawn while the investigation was ongoing. A MedExpress spokeswoman confirmed the advert was removed from all platforms after being identified during an internal review.
Questions this report answers
+What kind of adverts have been banned?
The Advertising Standards Authority has banned four adverts that promoted prescription-only weight-loss medicines. The ASA found that these adverts, including one on a London bus, could lead people to believe they were advertising oral Wegovy tablets, which are prescription-only.
+Which companies had adverts banned?
The companies whose advertisements were banned include Voy, Juniper, and MedExpress. The ASA ruled that their promotions created the impression of advertising prescription-only weight-loss medicines to the public, which is against advertising regulations.
+Why are prescription-only medicines not allowed to be advertised?
Prescription-only medicines are not permitted to be advertised to the public because they are not consumer goods. Promoting them can have serious impacts on public health, and safeguards are in place to protect individuals and support appropriate treatment decisions made with healthcare professionals.
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