Experts are now investigating possible serious side effects of weight loss jabs after hundreds of people came forward with reports of pancreas-related problems.
A study has been launched by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Genomics England. People on weight loss drugs who have been hospitalised by acute pancreatitis have been asked to get in touch.
Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach that aids in digestion. It often requires hospital admission. Symptoms include severe pain in the abdomen, nausea and fever.
There have been hundreds of reports of acute and chronic pancreatitis from people who have taken drugs such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy, although none are confirmed as being caused by the medicines.
According to the MHRA, there have been 181 reported cases of acute or chronic pancreatitis linked to Mounjaro, with five deaths. Wegovy and Ozempic have been linked with 113 reports of pancreatitis and one death. Other, less widely used versions of so-called GLP-1 drugs have also been linked to cases and deaths.
There is no evidence that the drugs directly caused the deaths. And the evidence isn’t strong enough for the MHRA to restrict access.
Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, said: “Evidence shows that almost a third of side-effects to medicines could be prevented with the introduction of genetic testing. It is predicted that adverse drug reactions cost the NHS more than £2.2bn a year in hospital stays alone.”
The study is being run through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, which allows anyone to report an issue with a medicine, vaccine or medical device to help identify safety issues as early as possible.
Patients aged 18 and over, with bad reactions to the weight loss jabs – which are also licensed for type 2 diabetes – are being asked to report the detail on the Yellow Card website.
They will then be asked if they would be willing to take part in the study, which will check whether some people are at a higher genetic risk of acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines.
Patients will be asked to submit more information and a saliva sample, with the overall aim of reducing the occurrence of the side effects in future, says the MHRA.
Cases recorded on the Yellow Card website up until 13 May this year include 10 in which patients, who were using weight loss drugs, died from the effects of pancreatitis – but it is not clear whether other factors also played a part.
It is impossible to know exactly how many people in the UK are on weight loss drugs as many users obtain them online through unregulated sources, rather than through their doctors.
Health officials have suggested the jabs could help turn the tide on obesity. However, they have also warned the drugs are not a silver bullet and often come with side effects, commonly including nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.
