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ASA issues ruling against weight loss injection ads

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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a ruling against an aesthetic clinic following Whatsapp and Instagram advertisements of prescription-only weight loss injections.

The ASA found that the clinic, situated in Hertfordshire, England, had used two Whatsapp messages and one Instagram story post to promote the use of Ozempic injections – a form of semaglutide injection – as a weight management solution for its patients.

The advertisements, disseminated in November 2022, stated, “We only have enough dosage for 10 clients so please message ASAP to be added to waiting list”, alongside patient testimonials and before and after images.

The ASA ruled that semaglutide injections are prescription-only medications (POMs), so should not be advertised to patients. The clinic in question was willing to remove and retract the advertisements in question, but the ASA emphasised that no ads promoting POMs can be distributed going forward.

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