America is changing Ozembik's labels - why? (92)

The U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration has updated the labels of the popular weight loss drug Ozempic. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and its similar drug Wegovy, said patient safety is the most important priority. Both drugs contain semaglutide, which is part of a family of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists.

The labels of the diabetes drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro indicate the risk of a dangerous complication, intestinal obstruction, among some users. The Ozempic drug label has also been updated to indicate this. Novo Nordisk noted that because of the voluntary nature of reports of these reactions, the frequency of occurrence or causal relationship to the medication cannot always be reliably assessed.

Some people taking Ozempic and Wegovy have also reported developing a condition called gastric paresis. Experts believe that these cases are rare and possibly not directly related to the drugs. Novo Nordisk announced that glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists have been used for many years and their gastrointestinal side effects are well known.

In Louisiana, USA, a woman has filed a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, claiming she experienced serious gastrointestinal side effects after using the drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro.