GLP-1 generics surge: Experts warn they are high-risk therapies, not cosmetics

GLP-1 drugs

• Generic semaglutide launch triggers aggressive promotions
• CDSCO warns against misleading ads and exaggerated weight loss claims
• Experts call for strict oversight on GLP-1 drug prescriptions

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Health activists and clinicians have sounded alarm over an “aggressive” promotional blitz, as dozens of affordable generic weight-loss therapies are set to enter Indian market this weekend.

Multinational drugmakers and domestic companies are positioning GLP‑1 drugs as lifestyle enhancers rather than prescription therapies with real risks, they have said.

Their concerns follow a Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) advisory issued on March 10, warning manufacturers against “direct or indirect promotional activities”, including the use of influencers, disease‑awareness campaigns, digital outreach, and any messaging that exaggerates benefits or suggests guaranteed weight-loss outcomes.

The regulator said such strategies amount to surrogate advertising of prescription‑only medicines, a violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

GLP‑1 drugs must not be projected as substitutes for diet, exercise or long‑term lifestyle management and directed companies to submit comprehensive risk‑management plans for continued market oversight, it said.

Health activists said the advisory is too little, too late. Jitendra Chouksey, founder of fitness platform FITTR, who has been petitioning regulators and courts for nearly two years, said CDSCO acted only after judicial pressure but stopped short of meaningful enforcement.

He pointed to thousands of social‑media videos, gym tie‑ups, and influencer content advertising GLP‑1 drugs to the public despite India’s longstanding ban on direct‑to‑consumer promotion of prescription medicines.

"The CDSCO’s advisory... is far from adequate," Chouksey said, adding it was issued 10 months after his first representation and only after a contempt petition was filed.

“The advisory simply acknowledges violations happening in plain sight,” Chouksey added, saying his involvement stems from a broader fight for ethical health communication after witnessing clients being misled by shortcuts marketed as “weight‑loss miracles”.

He is planning to move the Supreme Court, seeking systemic accountability from the CDSCO and the National Medical Commission.

Chouksey filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court, challenging the approval process of these drugs due to a lack of India-specific clinical data and long-term safety evaluations.

Doctors, too, are calling for restraint as GLP‑1 prescriptions surge. Dr Shashank Joshi, a leading endocrinologist, said semaglutide is a “game‑changing” therapy for diabetes and obesity but must be administered only under medical supervision.

The drug, he said, is powerful precisely because it is a disease‑modifying biologic, not a cosmetic quick fix. Joshi warned that the growing culture of unsupervised use —fuelled by social‑media testimonials — could trigger preventable harm.

These are not "ordinary" drugs and should only be prescribed by endocrinologists, cardiologists, or specialist physicians, not even "ordinary doctors" should administer them, Joshi said.

"These are complex, once-weekly injections requiring strict nutritional adherence and expert oversight to prevent serious medical complications," he said.

Blockbuster weekend ahead 

On March 20, the Indian patent for Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide — the blockbuster ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — is set to expire. It

allows Indian pharmaceutical companies to launch generic versions of the diabetes and weight-loss drug from March 21.

The price of the drug is expected to drop by 50 to 70 percent, translating to monthly costs of Rs 3,000–Rs 5,000.

Major Indian players, including Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s, Zydus and Lupin, are racing to capture the massive semaglutide market as the country grapples with a deepening diabetes crisis.