EU probe of weight loss and diabetes drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic finds no link to suicidal thoughts

European
Union
drug
regulators
found

no
evidence
that
highly
popular

weight
loss
and
diabetes
drugs
such
as
Wegovy
and
Ozempic
are
linked
to
an
increased
risk
of

suicidal
thoughts
and
self-injury,
the
regulator
said
Friday. 

The
European
Medicines
Agency
conducted
a

nine-month
investigation
into
so-called
GLP-1s,
a
blockbuster
class
of
treatments
that
mimic
a
hormone
produced
in
the
gut
to
suppress
a
person’s
appetite.
Those
drugs
have
skyrocketed
in
demand
over
the
last
year
despite
their
hefty
price
tags
and
spotty
insurance
coverage.

The
review
examined
several
drugs
from


Novo
Nordisk,
including
Wegovy
and
Ozempic.
It
did
not
include


Eli
Lilly‘s
Zepbound
and
Mounjaro,
two
versions
of
the
same
drug
sold
for
weight
loss
and
diabetes.
But
the
probe
did
include
the
active
ingredient
in
an
older
diabetes
treatment
from
Eli
Lilly
called
Trulicity. 

In
a
statement
to
CNBC,
Novo
Nordisk
confirmed
the
findings
of
the
EMA’s
investigation
and
said
it
will
continue
to
monitor
reports
of
adverse
reactions
to
its
GLP-1s,
including
suicide
and
suicidal
ideation.

The
agency’s
verdict
is
the
latest
in
a
series
of
reassuring
reports
on
suicide
risk
for
GLP-1s.
The
U.S.
Food
and
Drug
Administration
came
to
a
similar

conclusion
in
January
but
said
agency
officials
couldn’t
definitively
rule
out
that
a “small
risk
may
exist.” 

Clinical
trials
from
Novo
Nordisk
and
Eli
Lilly
have
not
demonstrated
a
link
between
GLP-1s
and
suicidal
thoughts.
Still,
researchers
and
doctors
have
been
on
the
lookout
for
any
new
unwanted
side
effects
or
added
risks
as
thousands
of
new
patients
start
taking
the
drugs. 

The
EMA
first
launched
its
investigation
in
July
after
the
Icelandic
Medicines
Agency
flagged
three
cases
of
suicidal
thoughts
and
self-injury
in
patients
taking
drugs
containing
liraglutide
and
semaglutide,
the
active
ingredients
in
the
popular
treatments.

Semaglutide
is
the
active
ingredient
used
in
Wegovy,
Ozempic
and
Novo
Nordisk’s
diabetes
pill
Rybelsus.
Liraglutide
is
the
active
ingredient
in
Novo
Nordisk’s
older
weight
loss
drug
Saxenda.
The
probe
also
included
other
active
ingredients
in
older
weight
loss
and
diabetes
drugs,
including
dulaglutide,
exenatide
and
lixisenatide. 

The
EMA
on
Friday
said
it
analyzed
results
from
a
large
U.S.
study
and
did
not
find
a
direct
association
between
the
use
of
semaglutide
and
suicidal
thoughts.
Results
from
another
study
conducted
by
the
agency
also
did
not
support
a
link
between
GLP-1
drugs
and
the
risk
of
suicidal
thoughts. 

Both
the
studies
were
based
on
electronic
health
records.

If
you
are
having
suicidal
thoughts
or
are
in
distress,
contact
the


Suicide
&
Crisis
Lifeline

at
988
in
the
U.S.
or
the Samaritans in
the
U.K.
at
116
123
for
support
and
assistance
from
a
trained
counselor.