The National Consumers League Applauds the Trump Administration For Lowering the Price of GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC – On behalf of the estimated 100,000 million US adults with obesity, many of whom are seeking treatment with FDA-approved anti-obesity medicines, the National Consumers League (NCL) applauds the Trump Administration for negotiating lower prices for the popular GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) weight loss drugs, Wegovy© (semaglutide) and Zepbound© (tirzepatide), so these medicines are more accessible to those needing quality obesity care.

According to an agreement the White House reached with the manufacturers of Wegovy and Zepbound, as of mid-2026, the Medicare program will purchase injectable semaglutide and tirzepatide – and later the pill forms when approved by the FDA — at $149 per month for the lowest dose and $245 per month for larger doses. This means that Medicare will be able to cover GLP-1 weight loss drugs for the first time, with Medicare beneficiaries responsible for co-pay of just $50 per month. Moreover, state Medicaid programs will benefit from these discounts, thereby allowing more people with obesity to receive quality obesity care in the country.

Also of note, starting in January 2026, Americans not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid will be able to buy Wegovy and Zepbound directly from the government website, Trumprx.gov, for $350 or less per month. This represents a significant discount from the price the manufacturers currently offer to consumers through their direct-to-consumer online pharmacy programs.

Collectively, the actions by the Administration will improve the lives of millions of Americans with obesity, who for too long, have been denied access to medicines that are clinically effective in achieving significant weight loss.

However, NCL joins with other members of the obesity community in calling on Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) this year. By enacting this legislation, Congress will ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have coverage for GLP-1 drugs. At the same time, TROA will expand access to intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) in more clinical settings, allowing more adult Americans to receive counseling that promotes sustained weight loss through high intensity interventions on diet and exercise.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)       

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

NCL Responds to FDA Action on Fluoride Supplements: Access Still in Question

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC – Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced actions to restrict the sale of unapproved ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children. The agency has notified four companies of its intent to take enforcement action against those marketing unapproved fluoride-containing drugs labeled for use in children under age three or for older children at low or moderate risk for tooth decay.  

“Fluoride remains one of the most effective and affordable tools we have to protect children’s teeth,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “While we are relieved that this is not a ban on fluoride supplements, the FDA’s actions highlight an ongoing concern about access to safe and effective fluoride sources for children. Millions of families, especially those without access to fluoridated water, depend on fluoride supplements prescribed by their healthcare providers to prevent painful and costly cavities.  There is scant evidence that fluoride supplements harm children, as the FDA alleges. I myself took them when I was pregnant, and he took them as an infant, and millions of other children enjoy great dental health with no neurological effects.”  

“Preventing cavities is always better than treating them. Without prevention, families face unaffordable dental bills, and children face serious long-term health consequences,” Greenberg concluded. “It is imperative not to deprive children without access to fluoridated water of other safe sources of fluoride.”  

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)       

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

Consumer, Patient Safety, and Public Health Groups Petition the FTC to Stop the Deceptive Online Marketing of Unapproved Weight Loss Drugs

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A National Consumers League Review Finds the Promotion by Several Online Telehealth Platforms Misleads the Public About the Safety of Compounded GLP-1 Products and Violates FTC’s Prohibition Against False and Deceptive Advertising

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC, – Now that a Presidential memorandum directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure accuracy in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and the September 9 MAHA Report calls on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to apply its existing authorities to DTC telehealth companies, the National Consumers League (NCL) and 12 patient safety, pharmacy, women’s health and minority health organizations have submitted a petition asking the FTC to launch an investigation of the deceptive marketing practices of telehealth platforms promoting weight loss drugs.

Reinforcing the July 17, 2025, letter to the FTC from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), urging a probe of the questionable online marketing surrounding GLP-1 agonists, the petition provides a roadmap for the FTC to investigate the direct-to-consumer advertising practices of telehealth platforms that promote compounded GLP-1 drugs through tactics that violate the FTC’s prohibition against false and deceptive advertising. These practices include ads that expose consumers to unsubstantiated claims and misleading inferences regarding the comparable safety, efficacy, and ingredients used in compounded GLP-1 products. As described in the petition, there has been a 1200 percent increase in “violative or problematic” GLP-1 related ads since 2022, resulting in an alarming amount of misleading information that causes consumer confusion, leads to risk-taking behaviors, and perpetuates fraud.

“Compounded GLP-1s are not the same as FDA-approved medications – and not knowing the differences puts American consumers at risk,” said Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League (NCL). “The FTC must act swiftly to stop deceptive advertising and protect consumers from potentially serious health problems associated with compounded GLP-1 drugs.”

Based on an in-depth analysis NCL conducted in April 2025 of the headings, claims, omissions of fact, and use of visuals and hyperlinks contained in widely disseminated TV and digital ads promoting compounded GLP-1 drugs, these practices fall into three categories that violate the Federal Trade Commission Act: 1) ads that omit  “material risk information,” such as side effects and contraindications, 2) content that contains statements and omissions that would mislead a reasonable consumer regarding FDA approval, and 3) unsubstantiated claims regarding product safety and efficacy. Some examples include:

  • Broadcast and digital ads that completely omit all risk and safety information about compounded GLP-1 products
  • Ads that only include brief, superimposed risk declaimers stating that GLP-1 drugs “may differ in risks, benefits, and side effects”
  • Putting risk disclosure information in small, hard-to-read type and flashing it quickly in TV spots
  • Making implied claims of FDA approval and/or the sameness with the branded drug by juxtaposing images of compounded drugs with easily recognized FDA-approved products, or stating that the compounded version has the “same active ingredient”
  • Using terms like “clinically backed weight loss treatment,” “doctor trusted,” and “trusted by experts” with no substantiation

The following organizations joined with the National Consumers League in submitting the petition: Aimed Alliance, American Medical Women’s Association, Association for Safe Online Pharmacies, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, Health Equity Coalition on Chronic Disease, HealthyWomen, League of United Latin American Citizens, MANA, A National Latina Organization, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Council on Aging, and the Partnership for Safe Medicines.

Because deceptive advertising too often deceives consumers into believing that compounded GLP-1s are as safe as branded versions, only cheaper and easier to obtain online, the petition documents the harm in serious health problems related to dosing errors and reactions to harmful ingredients in compounded GLP-1 products. As of September 9, 2025, the FDA has received 1,424 reports of adverse events associated with compounded GLP-1 drugs, including reports of 329 hospitalizations and 23 deaths, while poison control centers have seen a nearly 1,500 percent increase in calls since 2019 due to overdose or side effects.

Additionally, patient safety advocates warn that many compounded GLP-1s use active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) sourced from China, where quality standards vary and APIs may go uninspected. Further, the petition points to new health risks for consumers as compounders and telehealth companies pivot to promoting “personalized” versions of GLP-1s with added vitamins or microdoses of GLP-1s that have never been studied.

“When drug compounders use added substances or altered dosages to evade restrictions on copying FDA-approved medications, they endanger consumers by dispensing products that have not been proven safe or effective for their intended uses,” said Michael C. Barnes, counsel to Aimed Alliance. “By promoting and selling drugs that have not undergone rigorous clinical trials and FDA review, compounders also erode the integrity of the U.S. drug approval and marketing system.”

While deceptive advertising of compounded GLP-1 drugs is a national problem that perpetuates fraud, advocates are especially concerned about the influence of highly deceptive ads on women, the primary users of GLP-1 drugs, including girls 14 years and younger who are increasingly motivated to take microdoses of a GLP-1 drug to control their weight.  However, those at greatest risk of harm are women of color, who the data show tend to be more susceptible to scams offering cheaper, potentially fraudulent or counterfeit alternatives online, through bodegas or illegitimate channels.

Additionally, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) asserts that Latinas are especially vulnerable to deceptive Spanish language ads on television, radio, and social media, as well as through informal networks – community centers, neighborhood bodegas, and Spanish language Facebook groups – where oversight is nonexistent.

“This is a worst-case scenario for the Latina community,” said Ray Romano, LULAC’s Director of Research and Policy. “For many Latinas, especially those with limited English proficiency, these ads may be their only source of information about compounded GLP-1 drugs. Latina patients are also desperate for affordable treatment, which is why this exploitative marketing creates an especially dangerous pipeline for fraud and harm.”

Study Methodology
Months in development, the petition draws on research on telehealth marketing of compounded GLP-1 products, including a content analysis conducted by the NCL of the headings, subheads, claims, omissions, and the placement of visuals in television and digital ads widely disseminated online in the first half of 2025. The petition also incorporates input from stakeholders focused on patient safety, consumer fraud, and populations especially vulnerable to online misinformation.

The full petition can be found here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. The organization’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NHTSA Delays Updates to the Five-Star Safety Rating Program

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC— The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) postponed the effective date of updates to the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which is a Five-Star Safety Rating Program that provides consumers with important information to compare the safety of different vehicles.  

“Safety delayed is safety denied,” said Daniel Greene, the Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety.  “NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program should be a valuable tool of illumination, providing consumers with vital information necessary to compare the safety of different vehicles.  Regrettably, the five-star safety rating has become a mere participation trophy, with nearly all manufacturers earning four or five stars.  NHTSA must abide by the law and consumer consensus and update NCAP.” 

As required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NHTSA updated NCAP in 2024 to establish pedestrian crashworthiness ratings, update automatic emergency brake ratings, and create ratings for blind spot warning, blind spot intervention, lane keeping assist, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking.  In response to a request from the automobile manufacturers’ trade association, NHTSA has postponed the effective date of these updates for one model year. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

NCL Blasts FTC for Undermining Table Saw Safety Standards

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) strongly opposes the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recommendation to roll back proposed safety standards for table saws. Each year, an estimated 54,850 Americans suffer blade-contact injuries—including 4,000 amputations—costing victims their livelihoods and society more than $4 billion annually. 

Active Injury Mitigation (AIM) technology has been available for years. It stops spinning blades in under five milliseconds, preventing 70–90% of injuries. This proven, life-saving technology turns devastating amputations into minor cuts. Yet most manufacturers continue to resist safety mandates. 

“It is outrageous that the FTC would put the profits of table saw manufacturers over the safety of American workers and families,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. In industry terms this is, technology neutral. AIM technology prevents injuries, and calling it anticompetitive is a slap in the face to the tens of thousands of people maimed every year. No one should lose a hand or a career because regulators refused to act.”  

Today’s news underscores why NCL is building a coalition of victims, medical experts, and lawmakers to demand nationwide adoption of AIM technology. We will not back down until every consumer is protected from preventable harm. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

National Consumers League Statement on FTC Suit Against Live Nation and Ticketmaster

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today welcomed the announcement that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general have sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster.  The complaint alleges that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary rigged the system with deceptive pricing and shady broker deals, raking in hundreds of millions while sticking fans with billions in bogus fees and inflated prices.  

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud, National Consumers League: 

“NCL applauds the FTC and state attorneys general for bringing this landmark action against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The allegations laid out by the FTC make clear what NCL has long argued: far from being an innocent victim of ticket resale, Live Nation profits from it immensely. By working hand-in-glove with ticket brokers to circumvent ticket limits and then reaping billions in fees on the resale market, Live Nation has sought to corner the secondary ticketing market just as it has monopolized the rest of the live events industry.” 

“For years, consumers and artists alike have paid the price for this anticompetitive and deceptive conduct—through hidden fees, inflated resale prices, and diminished trust in the live event marketplace. Today’s action is a vital step toward holding Live Nation accountable, restoring fairness, and ensuring that fans, not monopolists, are the ones who come first in live entertainment. It also underscores the urgent need for Congress to pass the bipartisan TICKET Act (H.R. 1402/S. 281), which would codify much-needed transparency and consumer protections into law, ensuring lasting reform of a market long tilted against fans.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

Crackdown on Deceptive Weight Loss Drug Ads Marks Victory for Consumers

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – Justice delayed was justice denied to millions of Americans who have been exposed to a flood of deceptive advertising about the safety of the same weight loss drugs that the Food and Drug Administration warns are not approved and “could be risky for patients.”  Now, FDA is standing up for consumers by sending 100 cease-and-desist letters that tell online sellers of compounded GLP-1 drugs that it is a breach of FDA regulation to tout the benefits of the weight-loss drugs without any mention of side effects and to stop this “false or misleading” marketing.  

“Americans need a cop on the beat to protect them from the rampant disinformation now circulating online that causes consumers to tune out the advice of the FDA and leading medical societies and opt for drugs that may cause harm or could be fakes, says Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy. The National Consumers League welcomes FDA’s commitment to monitor the content and claims of companies promoting GLP-1 weight loss medicines and other prescription drugs and to enforce prescription drug advertising regulations aggressively. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

NCL Applauds Introduction of Deceptive Downsizing Prohibition Act

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Today, Congressman Correa introduced the Deceptive Downsizing Prohibition Act, a bill that would prevent misleading practices in product packaging, including undisclosed shrinkflation. The National Consumers League (NCL), Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer World, and Public Citizen have endorsed the bill.

“Healthy markets require transparency,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “We appreciate that Congressman Correa is leading the charge on this commonsense policy. Consumers deserve to know if they will receive less product than they expect.”

The legislation would prohibit the sale of diminished product amounts without a reduction in packaging size. If businesses choose not to reduce their packaging size, they would have to clearly label on the product that the contents are reduced or face penalties under federal law.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

National Consumers League Calls Out Flawed Science in MAHA Second Health Report

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL) is deeply concerned about the Trump Administration’s latest Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA) report, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While framed as a blueprint for addressing childhood chronic disease and other public health issues, the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report lacks in policy specificity and leaves parents and consumers with more questions than answers. 

“Parents deserve health policies grounded in science, not politics dressed up as evidence,” said Lisa Bercu, Senior Director of Health Policy at NCL. “The steps and campaigns proposed in the Strategy Report will not only further erode the public’s trust in science and public health, by reevaluating well-established, safe, and effective standards such as the childhood vaccine schedule, but when considered alongside this administration’s cuts to public health agencies and critical science, really make us question whether the goal is to improve public health. Ignoring decades of scientific progress and undermining vaccines won’t make children healthier—it will set public health back by decades.” 

NCL released a statement in June 2025 in response to the first MAHA report, condemning RFK Jr. for releasing a misleading and dangerous document that relies on outdated and misrepresented data to undermine vaccines, food safety, and decades of consumer protections. 

The second report repeats this pattern—questioning established vaccine schedules and raising doubts about lifesaving immunizations. 

As an organization committed to protecting consumers, NCL supports evidence-based policies. But we reject attempts to use selective science to justify undermining vaccines, weakening environmental safeguards, or shifting responsibility for chronic disease onto families without addressing systemic drivers like access to affordable healthcare, healthy foods, and safe environments. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)  

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

Trump-Vance DOT Tees Up Abandonment of Airline Consumer Protection Law   

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC –   In its recently released regulatory agenda, the Trump-Vance Administration announced plans to abandon significant pieces of consumer protection law in air travel. The document previewed initiatives that include allowing airlines to use deceptive pricing and leave passengers stranded without mandatory care requirements, like food or lodging.    

While DOT has not released the full details of its proposals, many of the plans appear to violate legal mandates Congress charged DOT with executing. For example, longstanding law prohibits deceptive practices in air travel. Yet Transportation Secretary Duffy plans to remove basic price-transparency protections that enable fair marketplace competition.   

“This is the clearest signal so far that this DOT plans to ignore its public interest mission” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “Not only is this administration failing to implement long delayed protections, like those for families traveling with young children, it is preparing to claw back protections already in place for the flying public.”   

The agenda announced adverse actions to the following consumer protections:  

  • The Full Fare Advertising Rule, which requires airlines to include all mandatory charges in advertised prices.  
  • The Ancillary Fee Transparency Rule, which requires airlines to disclose common add-on fees at the beginning of the purchasing process.  
  •  The Automatic Refund Rule, which requires airlines to automatically refund consumers’ airfare in the event of a flight cancellation or the spread of serious communicable diseases.  
  • The Airline Passenger Rights Rulemaking, which would have required airlines to provide care (food and lodging) to stranded passengers and cash compensation for controllable flight disruptions.  

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.