May 6, 2026

DENVER, CO  — Health equity leaders across Colorado expressed deep disappointment following the Colorado House’s decision yesterday to postpone SB26-066 indefinitely — effectively killing legislation that would have established critical consumer protections against deceptive practices in the compounded GLP-1 weight-loss medication market. With the bill now unable to advance this session, the gray market operators targeting Colorado’s most vulnerable communities will continue to operate without meaningful oversight or accountability.

Partner organizations of the Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease (HECCD) — including the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) — spent months engaged in intensive advocacy on behalf of the Colorado communities they serve. Yesterday’s outcome is a setback, but they will continue to call on lawmakers to protect patients who, often because of inadequate health care coverage, turn to therapies that are not FDA-approved — putting them at risk of serious health complications.

The organizations issued the following joint statement:

“We are deeply disappointed that the Colorado House has chosen to postpone this legislation indefinitely, and we are even more concerned about what that decision means for the Coloradans who will pay the price for it. The evidence of harm in the compounded GLP-1 market has never been clearer, and the case for action has never been stronger. From FDA warning letters to class action lawsuits to patient hospitalizations, the risks are real. They are happening right now to real people in communities across the state, especially in communities of color who are disproportionately affected by obesity. And yet, the gray market operators pushing unproven, deceptively marketed drugs at people who simply cannot afford better options will continue doing so without consequence.

“We will continue fighting for the Coloradans who have already been harmed by this gray market, and to those who will be harmed in the future because this bill did not pass. We will be back next session with the same urgency and resolve because the communities we represent deserve nothing less than full protection from the dangers of this gray market.” 

A Growing Body of Evidence and Urgency 

The consequences of failing to pass SB26-066 are real and will be felt by communities across Colorado. Since the bill was first introduced, new evidence has continued to mount about the dangers of the unregulated compounded GLP-1 market. 

First, the FDA recently issued a warning letter to Thrive Health — a compounded drug manufacturer — citing “serious deficiencies” in its practices for producing sterile drug products, stating directly that these deficiencies “put patients at risk.” This is not an isolated incident and it cannot be ignored. These deceptive practices are representative of an industry — a gray market — operating with very limited oversight, limited safety guidelines, and serious consequences and risks for the patients it claims to serve.

At the same time, Empower Pharmacy — a Texas-based compounding operation that routinely ships to other states, including Colorado — is facing a class action lawsuit over its compounded GLP-1 products. Notably, the company’s ability to ship into Colorado has been enabled by separate legislation supported by industry players who benefit from this gray market. These are the very same interests who worked to defeat SB26-066.

During the Senate’s final floor vote, Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver) set the stakes plainly, asking “How many Coloradans need to die before the Attorney General takes action?” This question points to the real consequences on the line and is directed at the bill’s provision granting the Colorado Attorney General’s authority to take legal action against bad actors in the compounded GLP-1 market. It is now a question that demands an answer from the House as well.

Advocacy in Support of SB26-066

While SB26-066 cannot advance during this legislative session, HECCD and its partner organizations are committed to returning next session with renewed urgency. The need for commonsense consumer protections in this space will only grow, and so will the coalition fighting for them.

Health equity organizations worked tirelessly to urge Colorado lawmakers to enshrine SB26-066 into law and create regulations for the sale and distribution of compounded weight-loss medication at every phase of the legislative process, including offering testimony to Colorado lawmakers, issuing statements, meeting with lawmakers, and rallying public support on social media. 

“When evidence-based treatments are financially out of reach, alternative markets often fill the void. For Latino seniors — who are more likely to experience poverty and lower retirement savings — aggressive telehealth advertising can feel like a lifeline. But without transparency, that lifeline may be unsafe,” NHCOA asserted in testimony submitted last month.

“When legitimate obesity treatment is unaffordable or uncovered by insurance, people look elsewhere. And the market has responded. Not with patient protections, but with aggressive, deceptive advertising. We are especially concerned about Spanish-language and culturally targeted marketing that fails to clearly explain that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, have not undergone the same safety review, and may carry unknown risks. When advertising obscures these distinctions, it exploits trust,” NHHF asserted in its testimony to Colorado lawmakers. 

“For Latino families and other underserved communities, the goal should never be framed as a choice between access and safety. Patients deserve both. They deserve medications that are safe, transparently sourced, reliably dosed, and responsibly regulated,” LULAC said in its testimony. 

Beyond formal testimony, the groups sent direct statements to all Colorado State Senators — thanking members who supported the bill in committee and underscoring the real-world stakes. This included highlighting patient stories, such as a Kentucky woman who developed liver failure after using a compounded GLP-1 product, to show that people have already been harmed by compounded medications and will continue to be unless action is taken soon. 

A Track Record of Advocacy to Combat Predatory Compounded Medications

HECCD has long advocated for stronger patient protections. Earlier this year, HECCD applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for announcing a series of new actions and steps to combat the proliferation and marketing of non–FDA-approved compounded, or “copycat,” GLP-1 obesity drugs, arguing that “Strengthening oversight and curbing misleading marketing are important steps in protecting patients’ health and upholding the integrity of the FDA approval process.” 

Last fall, HECCD joined with the National Consumers League (NCL) and a dozen other prominent national advocacy leaders (including LULAC, MANA, and NHCOA) to petition the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — asking them “to undertake a thorough investigation of the pervasive, deceptive and misleading marketing practices of telehealth platforms.” The petition argued, “these practices expose consumers to unsubstantiated claims and misleading inferences regarding safety, efficacy and the comparability of the ingredients used in compounded GLP-1 products as compared to FDA approved products.” 

Colorado’s patients cannot afford another session without action. While this bill did not pass this session, it should be revived and renewed in the next. Colorado’s lawmakers have the obligation to protect and preserve the safety of Colorado’s most vulnerable patients from the dangers of compounded GLP-1 gray markets.

More information about the dangers of GLP-1 copycat medications for patients and consumers can be found at NCL’s website here or in their policy report here.