STAT+: With weight loss drug ads, telehealth companies wade into a regulatory gray area
“In the old days, drug companies advertised prescription drugs, doctors prescribed prescription drugs, and pharmacies dispensed them,” said one expert.
They’ve swiftly caught the attention of subway goers: splashy ads plastered on train station walls and turnstiles across New York by telehealth companies promoting controversial weight loss medications like Wegovy by name.
Companies including Ro and Calibrate have capitalized on the new drugs by launching telehealth services dedicated to prescribing Wegovy and Ozempic, which patients inject themselves to treat obesity. Novo Nordisk’s drug Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss in adults, while the company’s drug Ozempic is approved to treat diabetes but is also prescribed off-label for weight loss. Ro, in particular, has advertised its weight loss program prominently, with posters that feature close-up pictures of an injection pen pressing the drug into a patient’s abdomen, with simple pitches like “Wegovy to lose weight.”
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