Promotion of a Prescription-Only Medicine to the public and promotion of a medicinal product prior to grant of a UK Marketing Authorisation by Innox Trading Ltd trading as Chemist4U – August 2026
Published 9 September 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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Innox Trading Ltd trading as Chemist4U has agreed to amend its marketing practices following MHRA review of a social media post and two emails sent to members of the public concerning oral semaglutide for weight management.
MHRA carefully reviewed the advertisements. It was MHRA’s view that the social media post and emails had promotional intent. In particular, the social media post referred to “weight loss pills” alongside the claim “coming soon”, while one email (“email 1”) referred to “oral weight loss treatment” and invited consumers to join a waitlist to receive launch updates. Both proactively drew attention to products that were not authorised at that time of issue. Another email to the public (“email 2”) referred to a newly authorised oral GLP-1 prescription medicine by name alongside promotional claims such as “safe, effective and clinically proven” and “no need to worry about needles”, with an invitation to “pre-order”.
MHRA was concerned that the social media post and email 1 presented consumers with promotional information about a medicinal product with no UK Marketing Authorisation (MA). Regulation 279 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 prohibits the advertisement of a medicinal product that does not hold an MA. It was thought that in the context of the pipeline of medicinal products for weight management at the time, and in the absence of any known supply/demand issues for over-the-counter oral weight loss medicinal products, consumers would understand such messages as references to a medicinal product which did not have a UK MA at the time of publishing (a weight loss pill).
Creating consumer demand for a medicinal product by promotion of such a product before any UK regulatory appraisal for safety, quality and efficacy and subsequent authorisation has been completed is not permitted. A consultation with a healthcare professional is the most suitable way to determine the appropriate treatment option for an individual patient.
MHRA was concerned that email 2 presented consumers with promotional information about a Prescription-Only Medicine (POM) in a way that was likely to lead to its use in breach of regulation 284. It is not appropriate to send proactive promotional communications to the general public that identify a medicinal product in a way that may be likely to lead to use of a POM. Customers or previous customers do not cease to be members of the public by virtue of having expressed an interest in a service or having been prescribed a particular medication in the past.
Innox Trading Ltd acknowledged the concerns and committed to ensure that their future marketing activities would be compliant with the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and MHRA guidance.