The weight-loss injection boom that swept through Hollywood and boardrooms alike is now facing a potentially deadly reckoning.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a full-scale investigation after over 560 reports of pancreatitis were linked to GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
At least 10 of those cases ended in patients losing their lives.
The measure comes after a rise in the reports of people experiencing troubling side-effects that range from undesirable aesthetic changes, to organ failure.
UK authorities have sounded the alarm on Ozempic and Wegovy causing pancreatitis in some users
“We’re asking anyone who has been hospitalized with acute pancreatitis while taking a GLP-1 medicine to report this to us via our Yellow Card scheme,” said Dr. Alison Cave, MHRA’s chief safety officer.
“Even if you don’t meet the criteria for the Biobank study, your information is invaluable.”
Among the victims was 58-year-old Susan McGowan, who passed away from multiple organ failure, septic shock, and acute pancreatitis after just two low-dose injections of tirzepatide—the active ingredient in Mounjaro.
Her case prompted the agency to work in partnership with Genomics England to uncover whether genetic predispositions make certain patients particularly vulnerable to GPT-1 agonists.
Preliminary findings have led them to collect DNA samples, hoping to assess possible links between the medication and acute organ inflammation.
If their assumptions are proven correct, it means that each person injecting themselves with these weight loss medications is effectively rolling a dice, hoping it doesn’t land on an unfavorable number.
The agency hopes their investigation results in stricter pre-screening protocols for weight-loss injections
The urgent investigation isn’t just a health-risk alert; as Dr. Cave notes, if left unchecked, the growing popularity of these weight-loss drugs could lead to catastrophic economic losses and immense suffering for families.
“Almost a third of side effects to medicines could be prevented with the introduction of genetic testing,” Dr. Cave noted. “Adverse drug reactions could cost the NHS more than £2.2 billion a year in hospital stays alone.”
Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer at Genomics England, agreed with Cave’s assessment, and specified that the goal of the study is to make pre-prescription screening protocols stricter—a move that threatens Ozempic’s unprecedented market success.
Despite potential side-effects, it’s in the investors’ best interest to keep the compound as popular and trustworthy as possible. Many jumped on the bandwagon in 2023, when a study by Goldman Sachs stated that the obesity drug market was expected to reach $100 billion by 2030.
In recent years, the dr*g has become so sought after that Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, has become Europe’s most valuable company, with a market value that exceeds that of its home country.
As the injections become more commonplace, the number of people experiencing adverse side-effects is expected to increase
Though the investigation is still ongoing, the early breakdown of the more than 560+ cases analyzed paints a concerning picture.
The timing, experts argue, is critical. Recent figures estimate that roughly 1.5 million people in the UK are currently using weight-loss injections—many through private providers due to NHS rationing.
The concern isn’t limited to British authorities. As Bored Panda previously reported, Australian health authorities sounded the alarm last month over dr*g-induced hepatitis, with multiple patients requiring hospitalization due to liver damage after taking semaglutide-based medications.
“Be aware of signs and symptoms on the liver,” Dr. Gary Deed of the Royal Australian College warned at the time. “Hepatotoxicity can be hidden in common side effects like nausea.”
At the same time, Mounjaro was found to potentially reduce the efficacy of the oral contraceptive pills, due to the dr*g’s mechanism of slowing down digestion, which interferes with the body’s ability to absorb these medications.
Among Ozempic’s listed side effects, on the other hand, are thyroid tumors, cancer, pancreas and kidney problems, vision problems, and potential dangers still not accounted for in pregnant women.
“The party is over.” Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts on the dr*g’s new side-effect
