(CMR) Popular weight-loss drug Ozempic is among drugs being reviewed in Britain and the European Union following reports that some patients on these drugs experienced suicidal or self-harming thoughts.
According to Reuters, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it was reviewing safety data on a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
This includes Novo's Ozempic, which contains the active ingredient semaglutide and is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. Another drug being reviewed is Novo's Saxenda, which contains the active ingredient liraglutide and is approved as a weight-loss treatment. Saxenda is Novo's older GLP-1 drug and has lower effectiveness than its newer obesity treatment Wegovy, which contains semaglutide.
Novo told Reuters it had received a request from the MHRA about the agency's review of potential suicidal and self-harming thoughts related to GLP-1 drugs.
GLP-1 receptor agonists, which create a feeling of fullness in an effort to suppress appetite, were initially created to help treat type 2 diabetes but have been widely used for weight loss.
According to Reuters, the MHRA said between 2020 and July 6 of this year, it received five reports of suspected adverse drug reactions involving semaglutide associated with “suicidal and self-injurious behavior.” Between 2010 and July 6 of this year, the MHRA said it received 12 suspected adverse drug reactions involving liraglutide also associated with “suicidal and self-injurious behavior.”
There have also been reports in the United States of people on weight loss drugs experiencing stomach paralysis.
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