Chronological reference of UK and international regulatory updates relevant to peptides and GLP-1 medicines — MHRA alerts, NICE technology appraisals, EMA decisions, WADA Prohibited List changes, DHSC supply guidance. Most-recent first. Manually curated by editors; no scraping, no automated feed.
Public-health alert about counterfeit tirzepatide pens obtained via unlicensed online supply. Patients reported unexpected adverse reactions and inconsistent effects consistent with contents not being genuine tirzepatide at the stated concentration.
MHRA continues to act against UK online clinics marketing ‘compounded semaglutide’ and ‘compounded tirzepatide’ as cheap Wegovy / Mounjaro alternatives. The legal basis is unlicensed-medicine supply outside the narrow ‘specials’ framework.
NICE recommends tirzepatide (Mounjaro) on the NHS for weight management with BMI ≥35 kg/m² and at least one weight-related condition; lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds. Roll-out is phased through specialist weight-management services and primary-care pathways.
Counterfeit Ozempic shipments continue to be intercepted at the UK border. Pattern includes pens repackaged into non-Novo cartons, missing or wrong-language PILs, and (in some cases) insulin substitution that creates acute hypoglycaemia risk in non-diabetic users.
NICE recommends semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) for NHS weight management via specialist services. BMI and comorbidity criteria; lower BMI thresholds for some ethnic backgrounds; two-year duration cap on the recommendation.
GLP-1 receptor agonists in clinical use, growth-hormone secretagogues (CJC-1295, ipamorelin, sermorelin, tesamorelin), thymosin beta-4 / TB-500, and related substances remain on the WADA Prohibited List under S2 at all times. Other unlicensed research peptides (BPC-157, MOTS-c, melanotan II, retatrutide) fall under S0 (non-approved substances).
MHRA continues to warn against use of injectable and nasal-spray Melanotan products for cosmetic tanning. Documented adverse effects include mole changes and case reports of subsequent melanoma diagnoses, severe GI effects, and cardiovascular events.
Department of Health and Social Care has issued repeated guidance asking clinicians to prioritise Ozempic for type 2 diabetes patients and to direct weight-management cases to Wegovy or Mounjaro, given sustained off-label demand pressure on Ozempic supply.