MHRA GLP-1 supply update: what changed in 2026
·5 min read
The MHRA's Drug Safety Update programme has published multiple notices since 2023 covering supply constraints on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Saxenda. The core message has not changed: prescribers are asked to prioritise licensed use, and off-label prescribing for cosmetic weight loss remains discouraged.
Nothing in the MHRA guidance changes the legal status of unlicensed research peptides. Research-grade semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide sold for in-vitro study fall outside the MHRA licensing regime entirely — they are not medicines and cannot be sold, supplied, or administered as such.
Our GLP-1 brand names map lists every currently licensed UK product alongside its underlying compound.