Fact check
Does the evidence match the medicine?
A familiar drug name is not enough. Ask which medicine the study tested and which health problem it was meant to treat.
Check what the claim is about.
The named product and use
FDA approvals cover specific products and treatment uses, as of September 2026. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) product label
Compare the product in the study with the one being offered to you. Did the researchers test tablets or shots? Check that detail too.
An approved copy
In September 2026, generic means an approved copy; compounding instead describes preparation for an order.
In September 2026, no approved generic of semaglutide or tirzepatide may legally be marketed in the United States. FDA drug approval search
Treat the word generic as a claim to check, not a casual nickname.
A claim about a compounded version
In its September 2026 guidance, FDA calls claims of proven equivalent results misleading when they compare a compounded drug with an approved one. FDA explanation of misleading claims
FDA does not review compounded preparations for harm, benefit or quality before marketing, as of September 2026. FDA explanation of its review limits
Ask what a result claim actually measured.
- Which study supports this claim?
- Was it in people, and were their health problems like mine?
- What did researchers compare the medicine with?
- What changed, and over what period?
- Where can I read the full study?
Ads reach the public without advance approval from any government agency, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission advice
If an offer says clinically proven, it is claiming proof from studies in people. Ask for the study’s name, what changed and who took part.