Connecticut's Attorney General warns clinics and spas about tirzepatide products
Connecticut's attorney general told weight loss clinics and med spas that selling compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, including pills and vitamin-added shots, may break state consumer protection law [1].
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sent a letter dated May 21, 2025 to weight loss clinics, med spas, medical practices and other businesses in the state, warning that continuing to advertise and prescribe compounded GLP-1 weight loss medications "may violate the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act" [1].
The letter, addressed to healthcare providers, says the office is "aware of conduct by certain Connecticut weight loss clinics, med spas, medical practices and other businesses" that could run afoul of the law, and includes what it calls "a handful of illustrative examples" of advertising it flagged [1].
What the letter says
The central legal point is about supply. The letter states that compounding pharmacies "are no longer allowed by the FDA to manufacture semaglutide or tirzepatide weight loss injections" in bulk because those medicines are no longer on the FDA's shortage list, citing an FDA announcement from April 28, 2025 [1]. Semaglutide is the molecule in Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus; tirzepatide is the molecule in Mounjaro and Zepbound.
The letter then lists safety concerns the FDA has identified with compounded versions: dosing errors, the use of salt forms of semaglutide and tirzepatide, and "multiple adverse event reports, some of which required medical intervention" [1]. On the salt forms, the letter says many are "sourced from overseas manufacturers with spotty inspection records," and quotes a Brookings analysis stating that "three Chinese firms responsible for 20% of reported imported volume [of semaglutide] have never been inspected as of September 2024," while "three additional Chinese firms, responsible for 44.5% of reported imported volume, were cited during their latest FDA [inspections] for CGMP [current good manufacturing practices] violations" [1].
The attorney general also singles out two product types that go beyond standard compounded injections. Some providers, the letter says, advertise GLP-1 injections "that contain additives, such as vitamins," and others advertise "compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide pills" [1]. The FDA "has not approved semaglutide or tirzepatide injections that contain vitamin additives, nor are there any clinical trials of such drug combinations," the letter says [1]. And no oral GLP-1 formulation is FDA-approved to treat obesity; the letter adds that "oral GLP-1 medications manufactured by compounding pharmacies have not been shown to deliver safe or effective doses of semaglutide or tirzepatide" [1].
Two other points in the letter address how these products are described and who they are for. Compounded GLP-1s are "often inaccurately described as 'generic' versions of semaglutide or tirzepatide," and are not FDA-approved [1]. The approved medicines, the letter says, are cleared only for chronic weight management in adults who have obesity, or who are overweight with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes \u2014 and "are not FDA-approved for cosmetic purposes" [1].
Why it matters for patients
If you have been getting a compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide product from a Connecticut clinic or med spa, this letter signals that the state's top law enforcement officer considers that business model legally risky. Some clinics may stop offering these products, change what they advertise, or switch patients to brand-name prescriptions. The letter itself does not order anyone to stop or shut anything down.
The letter is also a plain-language description of what regulators say is unknown about certain products. Compounded pills, in particular, are called out as not shown to deliver safe or effective doses [1]. Injections mixed with vitamins have no clinical trials behind that combination [1]. And the salt-form issue is about the raw ingredient itself \u2014 a chemically different form than what is in approved products \u2014 often coming from factories the FDA has either never inspected or has cited for manufacturing violations [1].
What the letter does not cover is also worth noting. It does not name any specific clinic or product, does not report Connecticut-specific injuries or complaints, and does not say how many businesses received it. Whether any enforcement action followed is not stated in the letter.
What happens next
The letter says receipt "does not mean that you have engaged in such conduct, or that my office is currently investigating you or your business" [1]. But it closes with a warning in bold: the office is "prepared to take appropriate action against businesses and individuals who continue to engage in the unfair and deceptive conduct described above" [1]. No deadline or response date is given in the letter.
The underlying federal timeline the letter relies on is the FDA's April 28, 2025 clarification of compounding policies as national GLP-1 supply stabilized [1]. Questions about a specific product or prescription are best directed to the prescribing clinician or pharmacist.
Sources
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