Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 5: The Centre has directed drug regulators across States and Union Territories to strengthen surveillance over the supply chain and promotion of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs amid concerns over surrogate advertising and misleading disease-awareness campaigns.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists only for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in adults and for chronic weight management in adults with specified medical conditions.
She said these medicines can be dispensed only on the prescription of endocrinologists or internal medicine specialists. The approved product information also carries warnings to prevent inappropriate use and minimise risks associated with unsupervised consumption.
Replying to a question on whether weight-loss drugs were being promoted through surrogate advertising under the guise of public awareness campaigns, Patel said CDSCO had issued an advisory on March 10, 2026, to manufacturers, importers and marketing authorisation holders.
The advisory directed them to strictly comply with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and ensure that the manufacture, sale and distribution of GLP-1 drugs conform only to approved indications and conditions of permission.
It also prohibited surrogate advertisements and any direct or indirect promotion, including disease-awareness campaigns and digital outreach, that could mislead consumers or encourage the use of these prescription medicines without medical supervision.
Patel further said CDSCO issued another advisory on March 27, 2026, to all State and Union Territory drug controllers, directing them to strengthen regulatory monitoring of the entire supply chain of GLP-1-based weight-loss drugs.
The advisory also called for strict adherence to approved indications and product labelling and directed that the manufacture, import, distribution and sale of these medicines be carried out only through authorised channels.