Blackburn, Skrmetti Call for FTC Investigation Into Questionable Online Marketing of Alternatives to FDA-Approved Weight Loss Medications
July 17, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to Andrew Ferguson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging the FTC to investigate shady online marketing practices of GLP-1 receptor agonists.
These drugs are increasingly being advertised as alternatives to FDA-approved weight loss medications like Ozempic and are being advertised in ways that mislead consumers and undermine both public health and the integrity of the pharmaceutical marketplace.
Foreign Criminals and Con Artists Are Hijacking the FDA-Approved Weight Loss Drug Market
“The FDA-approved GLP-1 medications are life-changing for millions of patients and resulted from decades of research and testing. Amid the unprecedented demand for these miracle medicines, foreign criminals and con artists are defrauding and endangering Americans by selling and shipping counterfeit or deceptively-marketed GLP-1 drugs and active ingredients. Many sellers of these drugs advertise directly to consumers on social media, claiming that their products are an easier and more affordable way to obtain GLP-1 drugs.”
Study Finds Most Websites Do Not Disclose GLP-1 Drugs Aren’t FDA-Approved
“Federal law requires that advertising for drugs be ‘truthful, non-misleading and accurate.’ A recent peer-reviewed analysis… reviewed online sales advertising for compounded GLP-1 medications between July and September 20243. The findings of the analysis were disturbing. The authors of the study report that ‘most websites did not disclose that compounded GLP-1 RAS were not FDA approved, although some suggested these drugs were FDA approved. Many websites provided limited safety information and unauthorized efficacy claims. Some websites did not disclose that these medications were compounded or incorrectly referred to them as generic.’ More than a third of the sites failed to include precautions, warnings, or contraindications. Fourteen percent even failed to disclose adverse effects. Moreover, many of these sites employed aggressive and manipulative marketing tactics that closely resemble those used in unscrupulous supplement sales, including celebrity endorsements, discount countdown timers, and testimonial-heavy landing pages. Consumers are often directed through low-barrier ‘consultations’ that circumvent the more thorough medical evaluation such a prescription should require.”
Manipulative Marketing Has Resulted in Severe Harm to Unsuspecting Consumers
“These illicit activities have already resulted in severe harm to unsuspecting users. To date, there have been over 900 adverse events associated with compounded versions of the two leading therapies in this class - trizepitide and semaglutide - including at least 17 deaths. These are not isolated incidents. What we are seeing is a growing commercial ecosystem that relies on the facade of legitimacy, all the while sidestepping appropriate regulatory oversight. Consumers seeking to improve their health are funneled through online evaluations and presented with products that may well pose genuine medical risks, all while being told they are receiving the same benefits as prescription medications that have passed FDA review.”
The FTC Should Investigate These Marketing Practices
“Traditionally the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plays an important complementary role alongside the FDA in protecting consumers from false advertising practices related to drugs. Your authority is clear under Section 5 of the FTC Act. We urge the Commission to initiate a formal investigation into these advertising practices by companies marketing GLP-1 drugs-whether compounded, counterfeit, or otherwise misrepresented-and consider enforcement actions where warranted. We also encourage the FTC to work with the FDA to issue clear guidance regarding the marketing of compounded pharmaceuticals, particularly those marketed as substitutes for regulated medications. The risks to consumers are real and growing. As an elected representative of the people of Tennessee and the State's chief legal officer, we know that deceptive marketing practices like these undermine consumer trust and put people at serious risk. Swift action will help protect public health and reaffirm the Commission's role in ensuring ‘truthful, non-misleading and accurate’ advertising of sensitive products consumers are putting into their bodies.”
Click here to read the full letter.
