Health agencies in the United States and Europe say there is no evidence that thoughts of suicide or self-harm are associated with semaglutide, a popular weight loss and diabetes drug sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegoby.
After 9 months of review. The European Medicines Agency concluded On Friday, it announced that “the available evidence does not support a causal relationship” between GLP-1 receptor agonists, a drug class that includes semaglutide, and suicidal thoughts or behavior.
The Food and Drug Administration reached a similar conclusion in January. The agency investigated reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior into its adverse event reporting system; Preliminary review We found no clear association with the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. However, the FDA said in a statement that it “cannot completely exclude the possibility that a small risk exists” and would continue to investigate the issue.
As semaglutide grew in popularity last year, a small number of users reported suicidal thoughts while taking semaglutide.
As of December 2023, FDA Adverse Event Reporting System There were 157 reports of suicidal thoughts attributed to Ozempic and 18 to Wegoby. By contrast, more than 2.6 million people in the United States were prescribed semaglutide from January 2018 to September 2023, according to data provided to NBC News by health analytics firm Epic Research.
“I don’t think we can say that the problem is completely solved, but the evidence we have so far is reassuring,” said Dr. Eduardo Grunwald, an obesity physician at the University of California, San Diego. He is an advisor to Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wigobee, but he did not speak on behalf of the company.
Novo Nordisk told NBC News it “stands behind the safety and effectiveness” of its GLP-1 drug when used correctly and taken under the care of a licensed medical professional. . The company said it will continue to monitor reports of side effects, including suicide and suicidal thoughts.
“We look forward to working with the FDA as it completes its review,” the company said in a statement.
The FDA approved Wegovy for weight loss in 2021. The FDA requires chronic weight management drugs that affect the central nervous system to carry a warning about suicidal ideation. Wegovy fits that requirement, so its prescription label tells doctors to monitor for depression and suicidal thoughts. Another dose of semaglutide, Ozempic, has no such warning because it is only approved to treat type 2 diabetes. However, some doctors do not prescribe it. -Label for weight loss.
Semaglutide has been shown in trials to: significantly lower blood sugar levels and lose weight An average increase of 15%.
“Overall, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks of these drugs,” Grunwald said.
a natural medicine research In January, researchers found that people taking semaglutide were up to 73% less likely to report suicidal thoughts than people taking other weight loss or diabetes drugs.
The study analyzed the medical records of approximately 1.6 million people with type 2 diabetes and more than 240,000 obese patients. In particular, one analysis followed two groups of approximately 53,000 patients who were obese or overweight but had no history of suicidal ideation. The first group was prescribed semaglutide, and the second group was prescribed an anti-obesity drug that was not a GLP-1 receptor agonist. After about six months, no one in the semaglutide group reported a suicide attempt, while 14 in the other groups reported an attempt.
This trend was also true for people who were overweight or obese, had a history of suicidal ideation, and people taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes.
“Although we found that there is a lower risk associated with semaglutide compared to other drugs, the mechanism is still not precisely understood,” said study author and professor of biomedical informatics at Case Western Reserve University. Professor Ron Shu said.
“I’m not saying there’s zero risk,” she added. “We just compared it to other drugs, and we didn’t see an increase.”
Doctors who regularly prescribe semaglutide say there may be other reasons why patients taking semaglutide report suicidal thoughts. Their leading theory is that semaglutide mimics a hormone in the intestines that tells people they’re full, so they eat less. Typically, if you are using food to cope with depression, this can have a negative impact on your mood.
“That doesn’t mean it causes suicidal thoughts. It just means that your sense of joy may be dampened by certain foods you’re used to eating to mask your depressed mood. ,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. , Novo She is a member of Nordisk’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Apovian says bariatric surgery works similarly in terms of suppressing appetite. Suicide rates are at least four times higher It occurs more among people who have had bariatric surgery than the general population.
However, doctors mostly claim that semaglutide improves the health of obese patients.
“In my clinical experience, when you lose this weight, you generally feel overwhelmingly better,” Grunwald says. “They feel better physically, but they often feel better emotionally as well.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at: 800-273-8255text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakerOfSuicide.com/Resources for additional resources.
