Spain Accuses Novo Nordisk Of Covert Advertising For Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs

Against a backdrop of regulatory scrutiny, with Spain investigating Novo Nordisk for alleged covert advertising of its popular weight-loss drugs, the U.K. is initiating research to determine if genetic factors impact the risk of acute pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 injections.

Yellow Card Biobank, a collaboration between the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Genomics England, will start investigating whether the risk of acute pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) from GLP-1 injections for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes may be influenced by an individual’s genes.

The agency said in a statement on Thursday that although infrequent, acute pancreatitis has been reported with GLP-1 medicines.

Also Read: US Adults Struggle With Long-Term Use Of Obesity Drugs Like Wegovy, Data Shows

Patients hospitalized with acute pancreatitis suspected to be related to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 medicines), such as Novo Nordisk A/S’ NVO Ozempic (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly And Co’s LLY Mounjaro (Tirzepatide), are asked to report it to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

These medicines are sometimes referred to colloquially as “skinny jabs,” although they are licensed for both weight loss and Type 2 diabetes.

Healthcare professionals are also being asked to help recruit for the study by reporting Yellow Cards on behalf of patients experiencing acute pancreatitis while taking GLP-1 medicines.

When a Yellow Card report is received, the MHRA will contact patients to ask if they would be willing to participate in the Biobank study.

This would involve providing further information and submitting a saliva or spit sample, which will be used to explore whether some people are at a higher risk of acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines due to their genetic makeup.

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said, “Evidence shows that almost a third of side effects to medicines could be prevented with the introduction of genetic testing. It is predicted that adverse drug reactions cost the NHS more than 2.2 billion pounds ($3.02 billion) a year in hospital stays alone.”

On June 19, Spain’s Ministry of Health, through the General Directorate of the Common Portfolio of Services of the National Health System (NHS) and Pharmacy, requested information from Novo Nordisk Pharma after detecting indications that one of its information portals may be violating regulations regarding drug advertising.

The initiative follows a media report about a website, which redirects to another page called “Obesity without filters,” managed by the laboratory. It presents informative content related to the approach to obesity, including images expressly indicating that this is a Novo Nordisk initiative endorsed by various scientific societies.

The Ministry has formally requested that the company provide documentation regarding the endorsement declared by these scientific and professional organizations.

It has also drawn attention to another link on the website containing recommended questions for the doctor. Although no pharmacological treatment is explicitly mentioned, the Ministry believes that the content could constitute indirect advertising for prescription drugs, the public promotion of which is prohibited under current legislation.

Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk continues the expansion of patient access to Wegovy (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg through a new collaboration with WeightWatchers beginning July 1, 2025.

WeightWatchers will work with CenterWell Pharmacy as the dispensing pharmacy managing prescription fulfillment and delivery for NovoCare Pharmacy.

Novo Nordisk said on Thursday that it is also introducing a new cash-offer price of $299, available through July 31, 2025.

This $299 introductory price is available for self-paying patients new to the Wegovy savings offer or those who have not previously filled a prescription through NovoCare Pharmacy.

This builds on the previous $199 Wegovy cash-offer patient price that expires on June 30, 2025.

Patients who redeemed the $199 Wegovy savings offer between May 22 and June 30, 2025, will be eligible for the $299 price on one fill between July 1 and July 31.

For subsequent months, self-paying patients will pay $499 per month.

The company said in a press release that with all doses of FDA-approved Wegovy fully available nationwide, it is illegal under U.S. compounding laws to make or sell knockoff “semaglutide” drugs, with rare exceptions.

Price Action: NVO stock is up 1.77% at $68.90 during the premarket session at last check Friday.

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