News, October 26, 2026
FDA warns 30 telehealth firms over compounded GLP-1 ads
On March 3, 2026, FDA announced 30 warning letters to telehealth firms over claims that compounded GLP-1s match approved drugs or hide who makes them.
On March 3, 2026, FDA announced 30 warning letters to telehealth companies over false or misleading claims about compounded GLP-1 products on their websites [1]. GLP-1 drugs include semaglutide and tirzepatide [1, 2].
What the letters cited
FDA named two main problems [1]:
- Claims that implied a compounded product is the same as an FDA-approved drug [1].
- Products sold under the telehealth company's own name or trademark without qualification, which suggests the company is the compounder and hides where the drug comes from [1].
FDA called this the second group of warning letters to telehealth firms since it began a crackdown on misleading direct-to-consumer drug ads the previous September [1]. It said it had sent thousands of letters over six months asking drug and telehealth firms to remove misleading ads [1].
Why sameness claims matter
FDA's release restates the basic rule: compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, FDA does not review their safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed, and they are not the same as generic drugs, which are FDA-approved [1]. FDA's earlier GLP-1 statement lays out how its compounding policies changed once the semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages ended [2]. For a side-by-side look, see compounded vs FDA-approved semaglutide and the guide how peptides are prescribed in the US [1, 2].