India’s drug regulator has put pharmaceutical companies on notice. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has warned firms against advertising weight-loss medicines. This includes awareness campaigns that could serve as surrogate promotions.
The warning comes as global and domestic players are locked in a contest for a share of the country’s fast-growing obesity drug market.
The regulator said advertisements that overstate therapeutic efficacy or guarantee weight-loss outcomes are a problem. So are those that downplay lifestyle changes or artificially drive demand for drug therapy. All of these could amount to misleading promotion and invite regulatory action.
The advisory reaffirmed existing Indian drug rules. Prescription-only medicines cannot be advertised to the general public.
So-called obesity awareness campaigns that function as surrogate advertisements were specifically called out. Promotional activity disguised as disease awareness, influencer engagement or corporate branding — where it creates brand recall for a prescription product — would be treated as a violation.
The warning reportedly targets Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk directly. Both launched their obesity drugs in India last year, claims a report. Both have been allegedly aggressively consolidating their positions in the domestic market.
According to doctors, analysts, medical representatives, patients and distributors, the two companies have ramped up outreach to doctors. They have also run high-visibility campaigns allegedly framing obesity as a disease. And this across airports, digital platforms, entertainment channels, social media and newspapers.
Eli Lilly has reportedly worked with Bollywood actors on an obesity awareness campaign on social media.
The advisory said drug promotions must not undermine public health initiatives for preventive healthcare. India is projected to have the world’s second-largest overweight or obese population by 2050.
Also Read: Indian pharma cos cashing in on weight-loss medicine industry https://www.vibesofindia.com/indian-pharma-cos-cashing-in-on-weight-loss-medicine-industry/
