CPAC agrees on designating GLP-1 obesity drugs as medicines of concern

Need to eliminate inappropriate practices such as splitting and sharing high-priced drugs

All nine attending members approved the designation

The majority of members of the Central Pharmaceutical Affairs Council agreed on the need to designate GLP-1 obesity treatments as 'drugs of concern for misuse or abuse.' There were also reactions suggesting that the designation is expected to raise awareness among the public who may not recognize these as prescription-only medications.

According to the minutes released on the 21st regarding the meeting held by the Central Pharmaceutical Affairs Council (CPAC) on ‘Validity of Designating GLP-1 Class Obesity Treatments as Medicines of Concern for Misuse or Abuse,’ committee members unanimously agreed that the designation is appropriate to curb indiscriminate use by patients and the sharing of misinformation online.

As a result of the meeting, all 9 attending members voted in favor of the designation, and the motion was passed. The CPAC members assessed the current situation where GLP-1 class treatments are being misused by the general public despite being prescription-only drugs as serious.

One member stated, “The designation can provide a reminder to the public that these are prescription drugs,” supporting the designation.

Another member pointed out, “We need a mechanism to eradicate inappropriate behaviors, such as the sharing of reviews on platforms like YouTube describing how people ‘splitting’ expensive medications.”

The fact that the need for this designation has been consistently raised by the media and the National Assembly, as well as the need for equity with other medications, were cited as key grounds for the decision. One of the key regulatory measures of this designation is restricting handling in pharmacies located in areas exempt from the prescription–dispensing separation system, specifically blocking purchases without prescriptions.

Committee members viewed prescription restrictions in these exempt areas as necessary to prevent cases where the drugs are prescribed to inappropriate groups, such as pregnant women or children.

One committee member emphasized that “pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to suffer significant losses from this designation,” stressing that the public interest outweighs the administrative burden of the regulation.

The designation includes liraglutide (Saxenda), semaglutide (Wegovy), and tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

In particular, the MFDS explained that ‘Mounjaro,’ which is used to treat both diabetes and obesity, is subject to the ‘drug of concern for misuse or abuse’ designation because it includes an obesity indication.

However, some committee members added, “We are concerned that designating these drugs as ‘drugs of concern for misuse or abuse’ may create a negative perception of the medication in a situation where obesity should be treated as a disease.”

Based on the results of this review, the MFDS plans to require the phrase ‘drug of concern for misuse or abuse’ to be printed on the packaging of GLP-1-based obesity treatments and to strengthen oversight to ensure they cannot be sold without a prescription, even in exception areas.