The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has directed pharmaceutical companies authorised to market glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist drugs for obesity management to refrain from any
promotional activities related to these prescription medicines.
In a public advisory issued on March 11, the national drug regulator cautioned that any form of promotion, including campaigns framed as disease awareness initiatives, would be treated as a violation if they indirectly advertise prescription-only drugs.
“Any promotional activity, including so-called awareness campaigns that function as a surrogate advertisement for prescription-only drugs shall be viewed seriously and may be treated as irrational or misleading marketing practice,” the regulator said.
GLP-1 agonists are a class of medicines used to regulate blood sugar levels, enhance satiety and slow gastric emptying. These effects help patients lose weight and improve glucose control, making the drugs effective in the treatment of Type-2 diabetes and obesity.
Pharma Companies Turn to Awareness Campaigns
The advisory comes amid a surge in multimedia awareness campaigns by pharmaceutical companies focused on obesity. While these campaigns do not directly promote specific drugs, they highlight obesity as a medical condition and encourage individuals to consult doctors, a strategy widely seen as a way to build demand for GLP-1 therapies.
American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has been running an extensive obesity awareness campaign over the past year. The campaign has included advertisements featuring actors Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak and Supriya Pathak, aimed at encouraging people to recognise obesity as a disease and seek medical advice.
Similarly, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk recently published a front-page advertisement in a leading national daily urging readers to consult doctors for obesity management.
However, the CDSCO has now made it clear that such indirect promotion will not be permitted.
The regulator said that manufacturers, importers and marketing authorisation holders must refrain from advertising GLP-1-based drugs. Activities carried out under the guise of disease awareness, influencer collaborations or corporate campaigns that lead to brand recall or product visibility would also be considered violations.
“Any promotional activity carried out under the pretext of disease awareness, influencer engagement, corporate campaigns or similar activities that create brand recall or product visibility of the prescription shall also be treated as violations,” the advisory noted.
Patent Expiry Set to Intensify Competition
The warning from the regulator comes at a time when competition in India’s GLP-1 drug market is expected to intensify.
Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP-1 drug semaglutide, widely known under the brand name Ozempic is set to go off patent on March 20. The patent expiry is likely to open the Indian market to more than 30 lower-cost generic versions of the drug.
Demand for GLP-1 therapies has already surged in the country. Over the past year, new launches in the injectable GLP-1 agonist segment including Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic have driven significant growth in sales.
According to market data, the category recorded a 177 per cent increase in sales on a moving annual turnover (MAT) basis, reaching Rs 1,446 crore in February 2026, compared with Rs 571 crore in February 2025.
Currently, drugs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic are approved in India only for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes, and their use is restricted to diabetic patients under prescription.
A Large and Growing Market
Despite these restrictions, India has become an increasingly attractive market for weight-loss therapies because of its rising burden of diabetes and obesity.
Pharmaceutical companies have therefore turned to disease awareness campaigns to educate the public about obesity, as Indian regulations prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines.
According to World Health Organisation estimates for 2023–2024, India has around 101 million people living with diabetes and another 136 million with pre-diabetes.
In addition, studies indicate that around 254 million Indians live with generalised obesity, while about 351 million people are estimated to have abdominal obesity.
With such a large potential patient population, demand for GLP-1 drugs is expected to grow rapidly, even as regulators tighten oversight on how these therapies are marketed.
