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Trends and Insight in association withLBB Events
Trends and Insight
The Weight of the World: How Does GLP-1 Marketing Differ Around the World?
24/08/2026
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24/08/2026
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GLP-1 medication may be a global phenomenon but advertising regulations and cultural norms form a complicated patchwork, writes LBB’s Laura Swinton Gupta
“At the end of the day, GLP-1 adoption is never just clinical,” says Carlo Nakhle, business director at Havas Life Middle East. “It’s cultural, economic, and behavioural – and each market has its own mix.”
GLP-1 medications may be a worldwide phenomenon but as manufacturers, providers and advertisers are discovering, the marketing challenges on the ground are highly local. There are some near-universals, like the impact of stigma and the re-framing of obesity on medical and biological grounds (as explored in this article). But each country has its own healthcare system, regulatory frameworks and, more importantly, cultural drivers to navigate. Given the billions of dollars at stake, even small differences can have a huge difference.
Join us as we speak to experts around the globe to explore the different challenges and opportunities facing marketers
North America
North America dominates the global market for GLP-1s. According to one report the region accounted for75.46% of the market in 2025. And that’s largely led by the United States. But that’s hardly surprising, given the US’s particularly consumer-driven, privatised medical environment
The combination of privatised healthcare and fairly relaxed rules about advertising prescription medication means that US consumers are used to taking the lead with their medical providers, asking for specific medications and treatments and, yes, using brand names. As we’ll see, for many other parts of the world, that behaviour is still fairly novel and awkward
According to Ryan Sullivan, CMO at GoodRx, a pharmaceutical price comparison platform, the US consumers have historically had to be more engaged and proactive when it comes to medication as the insurance system is complex. “What’s unique about the U.S. experience is that tension. You have highly engaged consumers navigating a system that is still fragmented and opaque. That forces the patient to be a more active participant in the pharmacy side of their care plan.”
As a result, the advertising around GLP-1s in the US is anything but coy. Brands like Ro and Hims & Hers were present on the biggest advertising stage of the year at the Super Bowl, and many providers are shelling out for star power, with celebrities like Rebel Wilson for Noom and Serena Williams for Ro
With so many provider pharmacies, a savvy consumer base and a system that means that many people have to pay out of pocket, GLP-1 users are happy to shop around so price is a key differentiator. (According to one survey, 27% of GLP-1 users with health insurance say they have to pay the full price of the drugs themselves , however the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program has made GLP-1 medication available to millions of eligible people for $50 a month co-pay as explained in this campaign for Eli Lilly from Wieden + Kennedy.)
“In the U.S., having insurance doesn’t guarantee coverage, nor does it guarantee a predictable cost. Prices vary widely, which has shifted decision making downstream and changed the prescribing behavior of many healthcare providers,” says Ryan. “Lifestyle prescription marketplaces for uncovered conditions like hair loss or ED opened up DTC pathways and normalised that experience. GLP-1s have only accelerated that shift. People started comparing prices, exploring telehealth, and effectively “shopping” for care, and that behavior is now spreading across other categories and countries.”
Overall American patients are used to requesting drugs by their brand names and have a greater sense of a consumer relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. And while that creates more freedom for marketers and health agencies, it has also created a secondary marketing challenge: consumers’ willingness to experiment with non-FDA approved formulations, a ‘grey market’ of untested drugs. Whether that’s so-called ‘compounded GLP-1s’ and the booming craze for unregulated peptides which carry risks ranging from bacterial contamination to incorrect dosing.
Says Sommer Bazuro, PhD, chief medical officer, Omnicom Health, consumers often assume an equivalence between approved and non-approved products
“This is one of the most important tensions in the category,” she says. “Compounded GLP-1 products grew during genuine shortage and access pressure, so it is important not to ignore the system problem that helped create demand. But non-FDA-approved compounded products are not the same as FDA-approved medicines, and that distinction matters for quality, consistency, and patient safety. There is also a spectrum of compounding pharmacies that range in legitimacy and their adherence to FDA rules but are often all lumped together as producing, as you say, ‘risky products’.
“The danger is that patients may hear “same active ingredient” and assume equivalence where regulators have explicitly said that assumption is not warranted. For legitimate providers, that creates a major education burden. They now must explain not only what the medicine does, but what standards of review, manufacturing, and oversight matter.”
So, argues Noor Tourte, chief strategy officer at Ogilvy Health, a big challenge for major pharmaceutical companies and legitimate telehealth providers is to differentiate and communicate the dangers of the dodgy, unregulated concoctions. “When you have compounding pharmacies providing compounded versions of these medications, you’ve got to question the legitimacy of that,” she says, adding that companies pushing unapproved formulations tend to be more irresponsible in their marketing, focusing on notions of ‘aesthetic perfection’ and skinniness rather than health outcomes. “You’re seeing a lot of influencers pushing those compounded formulas, that’s where the conversation and the marketing might be irresponsible because that’s when you’re promising perfection.”
That’s an issue that GoodRx are well aware of as they market their ‘GoodRx for Weight Loss’ offering. Their campaign for GLP-1s focuses on the emotional overwhelm of navigating a “chaotic” space and they’re positioning themselves as a “‘fearless ally’, someone who brings clarity, confidence, and control to a moment that feels unpredictable”. That means that trust and legitimacy are paramount
“Importantly, we’ve been very intentional in focusing on FDA-approved GLP-1s. In a category with a lot of confusion, trust matters,” says Ryan
India is one market that health and pharma advertisers around the world are watching with interest. Due to extremely short drug patents, semaglutide (the active molecule in Wegovy and Ozempic) is no longer protected IP. The patent expired earlier this year, which means that manufacturers can now start making their own, cheaper, generic versions of the drug. Observing how these generics compete and differentiate themselves and earn trust without the big brand seal of approval – and watching how the originator brands like Novo Nordisk fight back, might give us a glimpse into what might happen a few years down the line when patents expire elsewhere.
“India is another fascinating case, especially now with the semaglutide patent expiring,” says Carlo Nakhle. “It’s a completely different dynamic, less about stigma, more about access. As pricing comes down and competition increases, you move from a premium innovation story to a scale story”
Curiously, in India, GLP-1s don’t necessarily have a huge market when it comes to obesity and weight loss. Around 40% of the population is obese, andjust 5% is morbidly obese. However metabolic syndromes are much more prevalent. Indians are more prone to developing Type 2 Diabetes at lower BMIs (a 2023 survey in the Lancet found that 101m or 11.4% of Indians are diabetic). According to Noor, in India and several other Asian markets there’s a real culture of familial care when it comes to medical conditions. So GLP-1s may be less of an individual weight loss journey and more of a matter of tackling cardiovascular and metabolic risks under guidance from concerned family members.
“In the Asian markets the discourse around metabolic health and weight is so different. There’s the predisposition and the genetic passing on inheritance of cardiovascular risk and metabolic health issues is so prominent that that’s a very open dialogue in Asian families,” says Noor
Moreover, she continues, in South Asia there’s less taboo around discussing weight. “Culturally in South Asia weight is not this taboo or there’s not as much stigma associated with weight and weight loss, so you’re actually seeing the discourse starting to shift more to health and metabolic health in Asian markets faster than you are in some Western markets.”
Australia
The popular stereotype of Australia is that it’s a land of sun-kissed outdoorsy types, so one might imagine that there’s no market for GLP-1s there. “Typically Australia is perceived to be a land of sporty, beachy, outdoorsy – and slim – people. However, over 60% of Australian adults are classified as overweight or obese. It’s a serious public health and government cost issue,” says Gareth Finch at Bumpp
Despite the high demand, Australia has one of the tightest regulatory systems around. Not only is above the line advertising of prescription meds banned, but so too is any form of social or influencer marketing. According to Gareth Finch at Bumpp, the main outlet for marketers is PR and earned media, where manufacturers like Elli Lilly are keen to push the message that obesity is a medical issue not a moral one
“Eli Lilly has an unbranded awareness and education campaign live in-market right now, with the message “Obesity is not about a lack of willpower, it’s a chronic disease”. That tells you exactly where the narrative is now going based on these therapies. Eventually cultural beliefs and perceptions will catch up,” says Gareth. Eli Lilly also sponsored Oprah Winfrey’s Australian speaking tour last December – the US media mogul’s GLP-1 weight loss journey is well known. There are also plenty of splashy stories in the press about the drugs and about various celebrity exposes. Telehealth providers like Pilot and Juniper are running unbranded marketing campaigns telling consumers obliquely that they can help with weight management without mentioning any drugs by name.
“While you can’t advertise GLP-1s to consumers in Australia, it is possible to create attention and shape the conversation around weight, health and treatment options. And that’s what most pharma is doing. Public Relations plays a huge role in this,” says Gareth
There’s a real divide between those who have access to the medications and those who don’t. They’re not currently available from the public healthcare system, and so must be purchased privately. So there’s a greater divide in access in Australia than countries like the USA, where GLP-1s are available on Medicare. “None of the GLP-1s are subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for weight management right now,” explains Gareth. “That immediately creates an equity issue influenced by socio-economics and caps how far the category can go.”
Manufacturers like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are lobbying the Australian government hard to encourage them to change their policy. The current position of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), a government body which advises which drugs will be subsidised, is for a “slow and managed rollout” that targets very specific populations rather than opening access
“This decision is primarily driven by cost, it would blow out the federal health budget which is under enormous strain already. So, you’ve got a standoff between a public health opportunity and economic reality. At least until cheaper options become available in tablet form or as generics,” says Gareth
“The opportunity for GLP-1s is huge if they can secure PBS subsidy. You’re not just talking about a bigger category, you’re talking about a complete overhaul in how overweight and obesity is treated, shifting it from lifestyle to mainstream medical intervention.”
The Middle East
Across the Middle East, there’s a structural impetus behind GLP-1s that isn’t present in other regions. Governments are keenly aware that tackling obesity and related metabolic syndromes could have a significant preventative effect, and access to GLP-1s are part of public health strategy
“The Middle East is strong because the need is structural, not temporary. Governments across the GCC are investing heavily in prevention and chronic disease management, and there’s a real push to modernise healthcare systems,” says Carlo Nakhle
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, their Vision 2030 strategy has a clear focus on the nation’s weight
“The region’s leadership has been clear that the health and wellbeing of its people is a top priority. Vision 2030, for instance, sets explicit national targets on reducing obesity and diabetes,” says Noyala Rajakumar, Head of Publicis Health Middle East. “Governments have also introduced more precise interventions… The logic is to be preventative, and make it equitable: relieve pressure on the system before conditions become costly to treat.”
Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that the region has a free-wheeling approach to pharmaceutical advertising. Providers and manufacturers are highly restricted. “GLP-1s are prescription medicines, so they sit under the same scrutiny as any other prescription drug. In practice that means no direct-to-consumer brand advertising from pharmaceutical companies: in the UAE and KSA, for example, prescription-only medicines can’t be promoted to the public at all.”
B2B marketing to healthcare professionals is permitted, but any activity, even unbranded PR education campaigns,must be approved by the authorities in countries like the UAE and KSA
Having said that, there’s also less latitude for the aforementioned ‘grey market’ in peptides and non-approved or knock-off GLP-1 type drugs. This summer, the UAE saw a huge crackdown on businesses selling and influencers promoting unregistered peptides
Europe
Europe is a patchwork of attitudes and regulatory frameworks, but in general, pharma advertising in the region is much more restricted
“In the UK and much of Europe, where prescription drug promotion is more constrained, the conversation often plays out more through news, social media, and provider communications, which can make the category feel simultaneously less commercial and more vulnerable to sensational framing like “’skinny jabs’,” explains Sommer Bazuro
Within that, though, there is a real spectrum. There are countries like France, which are incredibly strict about how GLP-1s are prescribed and promoted. Earlier this year the French regulator fined Elli Lilly and Novo Nordisk as the drugs have been “misused by non-diabetics for weight loss purposes”. In France, the government is clear that they should only be used to treat diabetes, but Novo Nordisk has been caught outfor social posts that hint towards its use as a weight loss tool. A report in Le Monde alleges that pharmacies have been forging prescriptions for people using them for weight loss..
It’s not just regulations that vary. Perceptions of obesity and its causes also differ across the region, notes John Wiltshire, executive director, Medical Strategy, Remedy Edge UK. “Some countries, such as Italy and Spain, appear further along in recognising obesity as a chronic medical condition, while others, including the UK, still lean more heavily toward a lifestyle framing*. That shapes how open people are to GLP-1s across Europe, whether they are framed as a ‘shortcut’ or as a ‘medical breakthrough.’”
Given the large proportion of the UK population living with obesity and the pressure associated health conditions put on the National Health Service, the UK government has been less averse to making GLP-1s available for weight management. However, demand is high and waiting lists are long. Most of the UK’s 1.6 million GLP-1 users are accessing them privately
In the UK, the rules may feel considerably more relaxed than in France – though anyone who’s tried to navigate the restrictions around marketing prescription medications and the Advertising Standards around body shaming and promoting healthy or unhealthy behaviours may feel otherwise
Voy is one of several online pharmacies navigating these rules. They’ve been able to navigate the landscape to create one TV spot and, more recently, a big outdoor campaign that makes veiled allusions to the oral version of GLP-1 medication. It’s not been easy as Chris Banks, VP of brand explains
“The regulation is very tight. We can’t talk about prescription medication at all. We can talk about over-the-counter medication. But we can’t use celebrities to talk about either of those within advertising. You probably wouldn’t see any celebrities in a TV commercial for sure in our space in general. That’s basically a no-go,” he says
It’s forced Voy and their partner agency to get lateral. “You do end up becoming incredibly restricted. For example, you can’t really talk about food noise anymore. Even hinting towards food noise because that is such a strong association with the benefits of a GLP-1. You really have to go very abstract.”
One of the biggest frustrations experienced by marketers in the UK is that the interpretation of the rules is evolving in ‘real time”. Candida Hilton, director of communications at Voy explains that it means the creative team needs to adapt their creativity as new rulings come in. “They’re figuring it out as we’re trying to develop a narrative. They’re figuring out whether or not it’s right or whether it’s workable at the same time as we are.”
To illustrate the real challenge Chris describes working closely with a celebrity and their writer to develop an idea for a TV spot only to find that the rules had suddenly changed and they had to pivot their whole creative approach. “It’s all evolving dramatically month by month.”
Another telehealth provider, Numan, recentlylaunched a TV spot that discusses attitudes to weight loss, and only explicitly mentions the over-the-counter option Orlistat on-screen
This summer The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) came together to issue a joint warning to those selling prescription weight loss medication to warn that medications must have a license (tackling the unauthorised peptides) but also that the prescription medications cannot be advertised to the public
“The weight-management sector is fast-moving, and we regularly see new approaches in advertising from businesses,” says Jess Tye, Regulatory Projects Manager at the ASA. “We remain vigilant to these changes and will continue to act swiftly to take action where advertisers are not sticking to the rules. We expect advertisers to heed this warning to protect consumers and maintain a level playing field for businesses.”
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