clock: Lawsuit Against Manufacturers of Ozempic and Munhalo
A new lawsuit alleges that the makers of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Munjaro have not adequately warned consumers about the perceived risks of drug side effects.
The lawsuit Filed in Louisiana on Wednesdayfocuses on gastroparesis, a severe form of delayed gastric emptying. National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases as “a disorder in which the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine slows or stops”.
Diabetes is a known cause of gastroparesis, responsible for nearly one-third of cases.
The complaint alleges that a 44-year-old woman with a history of diabetes took Ozempic for over a year and stopped taking it in July, at which point she started using Munjaro.
The Louisiana woman lost about 150 pounds on the two drugs, according to Paul Pennock, an attorney at New York City-based Morgan & Morgan.
According to the complaint, the woman was not formally diagnosed with gastroparesis, but had “severe vomiting, stomach pain, [and] A burning sensation in the stomach. ”
“Her problem is so serious that she has been to the emergency room multiple times, including last week,” Pennock told ABC News on Wednesday.
The lawsuit alleges that Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, makers of Mounjaro and Ozempic, respectively, did not adequately warn of the risk of gastroparesis.
“If plaintiffs had been warned of the increased risk of serious gastrointestinal problems (such as gastroparesis and gastroenteritis) associated with ozempic and munjaro, they would not have suffered serious gastrointestinal problems while using ozempik or munjaro. would not have been able to do so,” the lawsuit states. Jury trial.
Both Ozempic and Munjaro are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but some physicians prescribe the drug “off label” for weight loss as permitted by the FDA.
Ozempic is one of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help produce insulin and help lower the amount of sugar in the blood. Ozempic is made from a compound called semaglutide, which slows the movement of food through the stomach and suppresses appetite, leading to weight loss.
Mounjaro contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which works by activating two hormones naturally produced in the body, glucagon-like peptide 1, known as GLP-1, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). is included.
This combination is said to slow stomach emptying, prolonging satiety, and suppress appetite by slowing hunger signals in the brain.
Read more: FDA, Ozempic, Wegovy warn about the safety of ‘off-brand’ versions
Both Munjaro and Ozempic are taken as weekly injections.
Known side effects of Munjaro and Ozempic include severe nausea and constipation.
There are no official health warnings from doctors or government agencies regarding gastrointestinal side effects. The FDA and other experts advise patients to talk to their doctors if they have concerns about the drug’s side effects, such as persistent nausea and vomiting.
Both drugs have clear warnings about side effects, and the label mentions a warning about delayed “gastric emptying.”
Munjaro website The drug’s most common side effects include “nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, and stomach (abdominal) pain,” it said.
Similarly, The Ozempic website says: Some of the most common side effects of this drug include “nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation.”
MORE: People Talk About Real Side Effects of Popular Injectable Weight Loss Pills
Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, issued a statement to ABC News that “gastrointestinal disturbances are well known side effects”, most of which are “mild to moderate” and usually “short term”. He added that it just doesn’t happen. He also said the drug has been used for more than a decade and has been extensively studied, and that gastroparesis may have many different causes.
Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Munjaro, told ABC News, “We are proactive in monitoring and reporting safety information on all our medicines.”
Dr. Devina Mehta, a board-certified dermatologist, is a member of the ABC News Medical Division.
