Mounjaro sales banned from being advertised by watchdog

Leader Live

09-07-2025

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the nine rulings against the ads – one featuring reality TV personality Gemma Collins – made it 'crystal clear' that all injectable forms of weight-loss medication were prescription-only and therefore banned from being advertised to the public.
The ASA said the rulings established that the advertising of named weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic and Saxenda was banned, as was the use of various claims such as 'obesity treatment jab' and 'weight loss pen'.
In December, the ASA warned businesses and individuals who were targeting members of the public with ads for the medicines.
We've banned ads from nine advertisers for illegally promoting weight-loss prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public — breaching both the law and the ad rules.
🎥 Watch to find out what this means for advertisers. pic.twitter.com/vyg9wQMLwR
It said no-one operating in the industry could say they had not been warned that weight-loss prescription-only medicines 'must not be promoted to the public'.
The ads banned this week include an Instagram post by Collins, posted on January 6, which promoted the weight-loss service Yazen.
In a video, Collins stated: 'I'm starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen's weight loss app and medication. It's really quick and easy to get started with Yazen, it has absolutely changed my life… I finally found something that actually I lose weight on.'
She continued: 'Yes, there's, you know, reports and stuff. And I'm not telling anyone to go on this medication, but it is prescribed on the NHS.'
Two complainants challenged whether the ad breached rules because it promoted prescription-only medication to the public.
Yazen said the post had been intended to share information about their 'holistic, responsible approach to weight loss', and had not been intended to focus solely on medication.
Following notification of the complaint, and in agreement with Collins, the post has been amended to remove any reference to prescription-only medications.
Yazen said they would ensure that future posts were compliant with the advertising code.
Great as always to talk about #mounjaro on the @BBCBreakfast sofa with @BenThompsonTV @sallynugent #weightloss #nhs #GP@rcgp @WilmslowHealth @TheBMA pic.twitter.com/HdOTDadMkf
Collins said she took her responsibilities under the advertising code seriously and strove to comply with them.
She accepted that her posts had promoted the Yazen weight-loss service and app, and said Yazen would approve any marketing materials she might post in future, and she would follow any guidance that the ASA provided.
The ASA also banned an ad for prescription-only weight-loss medication posted by CheqUp, which read: 'No GP or pharmacy visit, just a 2-minute online consultation.'
CheqUp told the ASA that they believed the ad had been created in line with what had become widespread industry practice in the weight-loss sector. They assured the ASA that the ad would not appear again.
Great as always to talk about #mounjaro on the @BBCBreakfast sofa with @BenThompsonTV @sallynugent #weightloss #nhs #GP@rcgp @WilmslowHealth @TheBMA pic.twitter.com/HdOTDadMkf
Other providers who have had their ads banned include pharmacyonline.co.uk, HealthExpress.co.uk, Juniper UK, Cloud Pharmacy, and Phlo Clinic and SemaPen.
In April, the ASA said a search in January found around 1,800 unique paid-for weight-loss ads which were identified as potentially advertising a prescription-only medicine.
It has published a joint Enforcement Notice with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and General Pharmaceutical Council, making clear that ads for named weight-loss prescription-only medications are prohibited, including online, on social media and by influencers.
This comes as obesity experts at Chemist4U found that despite Mounjaro and other weight loss medications being designed and prescribed as a long term solution for obesity, more than one in four (28.6%), equivalent to 15 million Brits (15,784,439), would consider using weight loss medications to slim down just for a special occasion.
Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U says: 'Despite 55% of respondents to our survey rejecting weight loss injections as a short-term solution, our survey highlights a worrying attitude towards a medication that is designed as a long-term solution to obesity.
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'These prescription-only treatments, like Mounjaro, are designed for people living with obesity or weight-related health conditions and work best when used as part of a sustainable medically supervised plan, involving nutrition and physical activity.
'Changing your relationship with food from unhealthy to healthy takes time. If you abuse medications like Mounjaro for a short-term win, the likelihood is you'll put all the weight back on and become an unhealthy weight again very quickly after you stop taking the medication.
'Working with your prescriber and health care professionals to give yourself enough time to form healthy food habits is the best way to incorporate these injections into your sustainable weight loss journey.'