Telehealth platforms prescribe GLP-1 drugs off-label for addiction, raising safety concerns

Telehealth companies have begun prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally approved for diabetes and obesity, to patients with alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine or other substance use disorders, even though the FDA has not approved these uses.

The move is driven by early research from drug makers such as Eli Lilly, Baseline Therapeutics and Altimmune, which are testing GLP-1 agents like brenipatide and pemvidutide in clinical studies for alcohol use disorder.

Experts warn that offering these drugs through direct-to-consumer platforms shifts the responsibility for evaluating unapproved therapies onto patients, potentially fragmenting care and exposing users to unknown side effects.

Regulators may soon consider a new FDA-approved medication for alcohol use disorder, the first in twenty years, but until then the off-label telehealth market raises questions about safety, oversight and the role of digital health in prescribing.