Ozempic and other diabetes-weight loss drugs have been linked to at least 162 deaths and 10,000 cases involving “serious” injuries since 2018, according to data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Of the 162 deaths recorded by the FDA, 94 involved patients who used Ozempic or Wegovy, both of which contain the active ingredient semaglutide. The remaining 68 deaths were linked to individuals treated with either Mounjaro or Zepbound, two diabetes and weight loss drugs that contain the medication tirzepatide.
Over this same time period, the FDA received at least 62,000 reports of side effects linked to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound.
At least 10,000 of these cases involved side effects that the FDA deemed “serious”, meaning that the patient in question was hospitalized or experienced life-threatening complications after using the diabetes and weight loss drugs.
These 162 deaths and thousands of cases involving serious complications linked to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and similar diabetes and weight loss drugs were reported in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System, or FAERS, a database that records reports of side effects associated with drugs and other medical products.
Serious Stomach Problems With Ozempic, Other Weight Loss-Diabetes Drugs
The use of semaglutide, tirzepatide, and similar diabetes-weight loss drugs have been linked to a number of serious and potentially fatal gastrointestinal conditions, including:
- Gastroparesis
- Stomach paralysis (“frozen stomach”)
- Ileus
- Bowel obstruction
Similar severe stomach problems have also been reported by patients who used other prescription diabetes and weight loss medications, including Rybelsus (semiglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide), and Trulicity (dulaglutide).
According to the FDA data, the number of deaths due to gastrointestinal problems or other side effects associated with semaglutide and tirzepatide has increased by 40% over the last six months.
Lawsuits Filed Against Ozempic & Other Medications
These serious and potentially deadly gastrointestinal side effects linked to the use of Ozempic and other diabetes-weight loss drugs have prompted a number of lawsuits from patients who were injured by these medications.
Lawsuits filed against the makers of drugs such as Ozempic have alleged that their manufacturers failed to properly warn patients about the risk of serious stomach problems they faced from taking these medications to lose weight or treat their diabetes symptoms.
Dozens of lawsuits have already been filed against the manufacturers of Mounjaro, Ozempic, Trulicity, Rybelsus, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound by patients who were diagnosed with gastroparesis, stomach paralysis (“frozen stomach”), or other serious gastrointestinal conditions linked to these medications.
Patients With Stomach Problems May Qualify to File a Lawsuit
Patients who were treated with drugs such as Ozempic for weight loss or to control their diabetes symptoms and were diagnosed with severe stomach problems linked to these medications may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for their illness.
The first step in taking legal action is to contact a law firm with experience in handling lawsuits involving side effects caused by dangerous drugs. An experienced pharmaceutical liability attorney can help patients with side effects that may be linked to drugs such as Ozempic, Trulicity, and Wegovy to determine whether they qualify to file a claim.
For patients who are eligible to take legal action, their attorney can help to gather all of the relevant evidence to help prove their claim in court and receive the compensation to which they are entitled under the law.
