Feb 9 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a television advertisement for Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss pill is “false or misleading”, according to a letter dated February 5. The health regulator said the television spot misleadingly suggests that Wegovy in its pill form offers an advancement or improvement over other weight-loss drugs that […]
Business
US FDA says Novo’s obesity pill TV Ad is false or misleading
Audio By Carbonatix
Feb 9 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a television advertisement for Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss pill is “false or misleading”, according to a letter dated February 5.
The health regulator said the television spot misleadingly suggests that Wegovy in its pill form offers an advancement or improvement over other weight-loss drugs that belong to the class known as GLP-1s.
The FDA also said the claims “live lighter” and “a way forward” misleadingly imply additional weight loss compared to other currently approved GLP-1 treatments, when this has not been demonstrated.
The Danish company did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
“Additionally, they misleadingly imply benefits beyond physical weight loss, such as emotional relief, reduced psychological burden, hope, or direction for patients’ lives, positioning the drug as a solution to broader life challenges rather than a treatment for a specific condition, when this has also not been demonstrated,” the agency said in the letter.
The agency said the Novo ad was in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and asked the drugmaker to take immediate action to address any violations.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)