FTC approves a final order against telehealth provider NextMed

The Federal Trade Commission on December 3, 2025 gave final approval to an order against telemedicine company NextMed and two of its principals, Robert Epstein and Frank Leonardo, over allegations they used deceptive advertising, billing and cancellation practices to sell GLP-1 weight-loss programs ^[1].

The order requires the company and the two men to pay $150,000, money the agency says is expected to be used to provide refunds to consumers ^[1]. The Commission voted 2-0 to approve the final consent order after a public comment period, and also voted to send responses to people who commented ^[1].

What the FTC alleged

The case began with a complaint the FTC filed in July 2025. In it, the agency alleged that NextMed, Epstein and Leonardo "exploited skyrocketing interest in prescription glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist (GLP-1) weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic" ^[1]. Both of those brands are semaglutide.

According to the complaint, the company sold weight-loss programs with undisclosed costs and undisclosed membership commitments, made unsubstantiated claims about how much weight its clients lost, used fake testimonials, and unfairly distorted consumer reviews ^[1]. The FTC also alleged the firm and its principals failed to process cancellation and refund requests in a timely way, and failed to get express informed consent before charging consumers or setting up recurring debits from their accounts ^[1].

What the order requires

Beyond the $150,000 payment, the final order sets specific rules for how NextMed and its principals can advertise and bill. It prohibits them from misrepresenting the cost of telehealth services ^[1]. It requires "competent and reliable evidence" to back up any claims about the average or typical results users will achieve ^[1].

On reviews, the order bars them from misrepresenting that reviews are truthful or written by real consumers, requires disclosure of any unexpected material connection with endorsers or reviewers, and prohibits manipulating reviews ^[1].

On money, the order requires them to obtain informed consent before billing consumers and to get authorization to use any electronic fund transfer ^[1]. It also requires them to clearly disclose important refund and cancellation terms before consumers are asked to pay, to provide a simple way to request a cancellation or refund, and to promptly honor cancellation or refund requests that comply with the policies in effect at the time of purchase ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Many people now get GLP-1 prescriptions through online weight-loss programs that bundle a consultation, a monthly membership and, in some cases, medication into a single recurring charge. The conduct described in this case points to the specific places where that model can go wrong for a buyer: a price that turns out not to include everything, a commitment longer than expected, before-and-after results that no reliable evidence supports, reviews that were planted or filtered, and a cancellation process that does not stop the charges ^[1].

The order applies only to NextMed, Epstein and Leonardo, so it does not change what other telehealth companies are allowed to do. But the requirements it spells out — substantiation for typical-results claims, honest reviews, informed consent before billing, and an easy way to cancel — describe the standards the FTC says it expects in this market ^[1]. Consumers who believe they were charged improperly can report problems at ReportFraud.ftc.gov ^[1].

The source does not say how many consumers were affected, how refunds will be distributed, who qualifies, or when payments might go out. Those details are not yet known from the FTC's announcement ^[1]. The announcement also does not say whether NextMed admitted the allegations; consent orders of this type resolve the FTC's charges without a trial ^[1].