GLP-1 drugs beef up their Super Bowl pitches

Ozempic, Wagovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound take the field, with 'compounded' versions at their heels

The Super Bowl still has its Clydesdales and political fireworks over the choice of halftime entertainment and this year it also featured a return engagement from GLP-1 weight loss medications. After all, whether you like it or not – and many people don’t – weight loss drugs are hefty business these days.

Nearly one in eight Americans have taken Ozempic or Wegovy or similar formulations like Mounjaro and Zepbound while others are trying compounded versions, which present an added list of problems.

You can thank Hims & Hers for kicking off the competition. Last year, it became the first to advertise GLP-1 meds during the Super Bowl and now it’s been joined by Ro, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Those million 127 Super Bowl fans, many perhaps hoping to shed a few pounds, are an audience that’s hard to bypass.

The ads drew caustic comments last year from consumer advocates and medical professionals who are queasy about direct-to-consumer ads for pharmaceutical products. But those complaints have largely faded as just about everything imaginable becomes fair game for being discussed, debated and dissected on social media and in paid advertising.

Compounding the problem

However, while packaged GLP-1 products are one thing, a consumer advocacy group insists that compounded versions of those drugs pose serious health risks.

The National Consumers League (NCL) issued a consumer alert prior to the game cautioning that compounded GLP-1 drugs — including “personalized” formulations marketed through telehealth platforms — are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and have been linked to dosing errors, severe side effects, hospitalizations, and deaths.

“These products are being marketed aggressively while glossing over real safety concerns,” NCL said, noting that compounded GLP-1s are untested, lack FDA approval for safety or effectiveness, and may include unknown ingredients or incorrect dosages.

Both Hims & Hers and Ro were expected to advertise compounded GLP-1 drugs during the Super Bowl, promoting them as a new, personalized approach to weight loss.

But while GLP-1 drugs produced by major pharmaceutical firms are FDA-approved, compounded drugs, supposedly custom-produced by pharmacists for individual patients, may contain too much or too little of the active ingredient, use alternative sources of the drug’s chemical components, or be contaminated.

1500% increase in poison center calls

In September 2025, the agency reported receiving 1,150 adverse-event reports linked to compounded GLP-1 drugs, including hospitalizations and some deaths. Poison control centers also reported a nearly 1,500 percent increase in GLP-1-related calls since 2019, with many cases involving dosing errors — sometimes as high as 10 times the recommended dose.

Regulators have warned consumers about illegal online pharmacies selling counterfeit GLP-1s or products falsely marketed as GLP-1 drugs, including patches, liquids, and gummies that don’t contain and of the medication.

In some cases, sellers have illegally offered the raw active pharmaceutical ingredient directly to consumers, labeled as “research chemicals” or “not for human consumption,” while providing dosing instructions online.

“Personalized” drugs raise concerns

NCL said the market has now shifted toward so-called “personalized” compounded GLP-1 drugs, including microdosing regimens and formulations mixed with added ingredients such as B vitamins. The FDA has warned that microdosing is not an approved medical practice and is not supported by clinical evidence, raising concerns about underdosing, rebound weight gain, dizziness, and unstable blood sugar control.

At the same time, regulators caution that exceeding recommended doses — a risk with compounded products — can cause serious gastrointestinal side effects, including severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Studies cited by NCL estimate that more than 80 percent of personalized compounded GLP-1 products now include added ingredients such as vitamins B6, B12, or B3. The FDA says the safety and effectiveness of combining GLP-1 drugs with such additives has not been established and that the combinations may affect absorption or potency.

Federal regulators have taken steps to curb the market. In March 2025, the FDA declared the national shortage of approved GLP-1 drugs over and gave online sellers until May 22 to withdraw mass-produced compounded versions. In September, the Trump administration launched a crackdown on deceptive direct-to-consumer drug advertising, prompting the FDA to issue more than 55 warning letters to online sellers for false or misleading claims, including advertising compounded GLP-1s as “FDA-approved.”

But NCL said unsafe marketing persists and urged consumers to consult their doctors, seek FDA-approved medications when possible, and fill prescriptions at state-licensed pharmacies. The group also warned consumers to be wary of online sellers offering steep discounts or claiming compounded products are identical to approved drugs.

“GLP-1 drugs are powerful medications with real risks,” NCL said. “Consumers should not be misled into believing unapproved, compounded versions are safer, cheaper substitutes simply because they are heavily advertised.”