August 3, 2026

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease (HECCD) and its partner organizations are urging the California Senate Appropriations Committee to advance AB 1990, legislation that would establish new consumer protection and truth-in-advertising requirements for compounded weight-loss medications. The bill would help ensure Californians receive clear, accurate information about compounded GLP-1 medications so they can make informed decisions about their healthcare. 

AB 1990 passed the California Assembly with near-unanimous support. The bill would strengthen transparency for compounded medications used for weight management by requiring meaningful disclosures and truthful advertising, helping patients understand how these products differ from FDA-approved medications. HECCD partner organizations are making their voices heard at every stage of the Senate process, including ahead of the Senate Appropriations hearing, where multiple partners offered remarks of support:

“Obesity remains one of the most significant chronic diseases affecting Hispanic communities, and patients deserve clear, accurate information about the treatments available to them,” said Dr. Elena Rios, President of National Hispanic Health Foundation. “AB 1990 helps ensure that advertisements for compounded weight-management medications accurately describe these products and include meaningful disclosures so patients can better understand what they are being prescribed.”

“Latinas are often the healthcare decision-makers in their households, not only for themselves but also for their children, parents, and loved ones. That responsibility depends on having information they can trust,” said Amy Hinojosa, President & CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization. “AB 1990 strengthens transparency by requiring clear disclosures and truthful advertising for compounded medications used to treat obesity, helping women make informed decisions based on accurate information rather than marketing claims.” 

“AB 1990 ensures that patients receive critical safety information about compounded weight-management medications, enabling them to make informed decisions and engage in meaningful conversations with their healthcare providers,” said Yanira Cruz, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA). “Greater transparency strengthens patient confidence and supports safer healthcare choices.”

“Our communities should never have to guess whether an advertisement tells the whole story. As compounded weight-management medications become more widely marketed, families deserve transparency about what a product is and what it is not,” said Dr. Ray Serrano, national director of research and policy for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). “AB 1990 establishes commonsense standards that will help Californians distinguish between FDA-approved medications and compounded products while ensuring they receive important risk information before making healthcare decisions.”

What AB 1990 Does — and Doesn’t Do

AB 1990 is narrowly tailored and does not seek to limit or prevent the lawful compounding of medications. Instead, it establishes clear advertising and disclosure standards for compounded GLP-1 and GIP medications used for weight loss, helping ensure patients receive accurate information before making healthcare decisions. 

The bill would: 

• Require advertisements for compounded GLP-1 and GIP medications used for weight management to clearly disclose that the products are compounded medications that have not been approved or evaluated by the FDA for safety.
• Require advertisements to include important safety information including side effects, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse reactions, consistent with FDA-approved labeling for the reference drug.
• Require advertisements to include important safety information so patients better understand the risks, benefits, and regulatory status of compounded medications before seeking treatment.

Current gaps in oversight are allowing unsafe, substandard products to reach patients. This disproportionately impacts communities of color, where deceptive and aggressive marketing is most concentrated and the consequences are most severe.

A Strong Record of Advocacy in Support of AB 1990

HECCD and its partner organizations have engaged California lawmakers throughout the legislative process in support of AB 1990, including:

• Formal statements of support submitted directly to Senate committee chairs
• Support letters submitted to both the Senate Business & Professions and Judiciary Committees urging members to advance the bill 
• Sustained engagement with Assembly members throughout the bill’s passage with near-unanimous support in the lower chamber

California has an opportunity to close dangerous gaps and set a higher standard for patient safety. AB1990 helps protect patients from the use of poor-quality active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in compounded weight-loss drugs. The Senate Appropriations committee must advance AB 1990 and ensure Californians are protected from a gray market that has gone unchecked for too long.

Advocacy to Combat 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 GLP1 products as compared to FDA approved products.” 

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

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The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease (HECCD) believes that all people deserve the best possible health care. Continuing to allow outdated coverage policies to restrict access for communities dependent on public programs is counter to the principles of health equity. The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease’s mission is to ensure that community experts, policy makers, providers, and other stakeholders work together to eliminate barriers to healthcare for rural communities, seniors, and communities of color, especially as related to access to care and treatment for obesity.