The European Union is studying a potential link between suicidal ideation and drugs like Ozempic, which are used for weight loss and to treat type 2 diabetes.
The European Medicines Agency, an EU agency, said on Friday that its safety committee was examining data linking drugs such as Ozempic, Saxenda and Wegobee, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, to self-harm and suicidal thoughts. announced that it is
Authorities launched a review after the Icelandic Medicines Agency reported a possible link between the drug and self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Officially press releasethe EMA stressed, “It is not yet clear whether the reported cases are related to the drug itself, or to the patient’s underlying medical conditions or other factors.”
Authorities are analyzing about 150 reported cases of self-harm or possible suicidal ideation. The review will begin on July 3, 2023 and is expected to end in November 2023.
Use of these drugs, which contain the active ingredients semaglutide and liraglutide, has recently surged after celebrities promoted them on social media. Data for April 2023 show that prescriptions for Ozempic have doubled since the summer of 2021 to more than 1.2 million, and Ozempic has been placed on the US FDA’s drug shortage list.
An EU press release indicated that to date, all medicines together have more than 20 million patient-years of exposure. One patient-year is equivalent to one patient taking the drug for one year, according to the release.
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