Weight Loss Jabs linked to More than 150 Deaths

More than 150 deaths have been linked to weight loss jabs, according to figures published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Patients using weight loss medication have also filed around 150,000 reports of adverse reactions and serious side-effects.

The figures come from the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, which allows patients, relatives, doctors and other healthcare professionals to report suspected side-effects from medicines.

Thousands of reports have been made about the GLP-1 drugs available on the NHS, including liraglutide, sold as Saxenda, semaglutide, sold as Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro.

Tirzepatide had the highest number of reports, with more than 100,000 complaints involving serious and adverse side-effects and 98 reported fatal outcomes.

Semaglutide had just under 50,000 reports of serious and adverse reactions, with the MHRA potentially linking 37 deaths to the medication.

Liraglutide had almost 4,000 serious and adverse reaction reports and 37 reported fatal outcomes.

However, the figures do not establish that the medicines caused the reported deaths or side-effects.

More than one report can be made for the same patient, meaning the figures do not represent the number of individuals who have experienced an adverse reaction.

Fatal outcomes are also not necessarily caused by the medication and could result from another issue, including an undiagnosed illness or condition or the use of unregulated treatments.

Reports can be submitted by patients, their relatives and doctors, and are published with the caveat that the reported side-effect may have been caused by another condition, such as a stomach bug or virus.

The Yellow Card data also shows the types of reactions being reported among people using the medicines.

For semaglutide, 28,884 reports involved gastrointestinal reactions, while more than 5,000 concerned nervous system disorders.

Tirzepatide had 65,024 reports involving gastrointestinal reactions and 13,964 relating to nervous system disorders. More than 2,000 reports involving the medication concerned psychiatric disorders.

For liraglutide, 1,461 reports involved gastrointestinal reactions.

Weight loss jabs commonly cause mild digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and acid reflux.

However, the reported reactions also include heart and vascular disorders, nervous system disorders, eye conditions and more serious gastrointestinal problems, some of which have had fatal outcomes.

The MHRA highlighted that millions of GLP-1 prescriptions are issued in the UK and said the complaints represent only a small fraction of their use.

The regulator also cautioned that the number of reports can be influenced by increased use of the medicines and greater awareness of potential side-effects.

An MHRA spokesperson said: “As with all medicines, the safety of GLP-1’s are kept under continual review including emerging evidence from spontaneous data and scientific publications.

“Any potential updates regarding the safety for these medicines would be promptly communicated to patients and healthcare professionals, and appropriate steps taken to mitigate any identified risk.

“On the basis of the current evidence, the benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists outweigh the potential risks when used in line with their authorised uses.”

A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said the manufacturer cares “deeply about patient safety”.

“Like all medicines, treatments used for chronic conditions can have side effects, and these can vary from person to person.”

“That is why medicines should be prescribed by, and used under the supervision of, a healthcare professional, who can consider the potential benefits and risks for each individual.”

An Eli Lilly spokesperson said: “We take reports regarding patient safety seriously and actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines.

“Regulatory agencies conduct extensive independent assessments of the benefits and risks of every new medicine.

“Patients taking Mounjaro (tirzepatide), like with any other prescription medicine, may experience adverse events. Adverse events should be reported under the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

“Mounjaro (tirzepatide) should only be used when prescribed by a healthcare professional.

“We encourage patients to consult their doctor or other healthcare professional regarding any side effects they may be experiencing and to ensure that they are getting genuine Lilly medicine.”

Patients experiencing possible side-effects from weight loss medication should speak to their doctor or healthcare professional and can report suspected reactions through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.