--- title: "CDSCO asks states, UTs to monitor surrogate promotion for GLP-1 drugs" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286925029.md" description: "The CDSCO has instructed states and UTs to monitor promotional activities for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like semaglutide, following a ban on promotional activities for prescription-only therapies. The organization is enforcing compliance through audits and inspections, addressing illegal distribution and misuse. With the patent expiration of semaglutide, over 25 generic versions have emerged, prompting companies to launch multimedia campaigns focused on obesity awareness, as direct advertising is prohibited." datetime: "2026-05-19T05:48:58.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286925029.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286925029.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286925029.md) --- # CDSCO asks states, UTs to monitor surrogate promotion for GLP-1 drugs The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked states and union territories (UTs) to actively monitor print, electronic, digital, social media, and outdoor platforms for surrogate promotional activities related to weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide. This comes after India’s apex drug regulatory body had asked all drugmakers having marketing authorisation to sell glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) drugs for obesity management not to partake in any promotional activities for the prescription-only therapy. In a circular dated March 27, the CDSCO stated that appropriate action could be taken under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, against manufacturers, importers, marketers, or any other entities found in violation of the rules. “Over the past several weeks, the CDSCO, in coordination with state licensing authorities, has undertaken a nationwide enforcement drive to curb illegal distribution channels, non-compliant dispensing practices, and misuse of GLP-1 drug use,” said Drug Controller General Rajeev Raghuvanshi. He added that several audits and inspections have already been carried out, including at online pharmacy warehouses, drug wholesalers, retail outlets, and slimming clinics, with notices being served to entities found in violation of conditions of permission and on-label warnings. Recently, the Haryana Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had seized counterfeit versions of its diabetes drug Mounjaro in Gurugram. Marketed by US-based drugmaker Eli Lilly, the counterfeit products were neither manufactured by Lilly nor did they originate from the company’s authorised and verified supply chain. With Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP-1 agonist drug semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic, going off patent on March 20, Indian markets have been flooded with more than 25 cheaper generic versions. Consequently, several pharmaceutical companies had stepped up multimedia awareness campaigns, not directly promoting their drugs, but building awareness around obesity being a disease and encouraging users to consult doctors, as the race for India’s GLP-1 drug market intensifies. Over the past year, new launches in the injectable GLP-1 agonist segment — such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic — have already driven a 218 per cent rise in sales in this category on a moving annual turnover (MAT) basis to Rs 1,736 crore in April 2026, compared with Rs 545 crore in April 2025. Of these, Mounjaro and Ozempic are currently approved in India only for Type-2 diabetes, and prescriptions are restricted to diabetic patients. However, with awareness among the broader population limited, companies are turning to multimedia campaigns focused on obesity awareness since Indian regulations prohibit direct-to-consumer drug advertising. India’s large disease burden has also made it an attractive market for weight-loss therapies. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates for 2023-24, the country has around 101 million people living with diabetes, and another 136 million with pre-diabetes. Studies suggest India also has 254 million people with generalised obesity, and 351 million with abdominal obesity. ### Related Stocks - [NVO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NVO.US.md) - [LLY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LLY.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Milliman Medical Index: Healthcare costs for an American family reach $37,824 in 2026](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287081023.md) - [Key facts: Novo cuts India GLP-1 prices; Wegovy 3,071, Foundayo 1,390](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285790013.md) - [The Hat Selects Square to Power Multi-State Expansion | XYZ Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286937808.md) - [State Cannabis Companies Rushed To Apply for DEA Registration but DEA Cannot Rewrite Marijuana Federal Register Rules With a Press Statement](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286649436.md) - [Lupin bets big on India's GLP-1 market & respiratory drugs](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287021542.md)