2023-07-12 16:37:36
The Safety Committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started a review of several weight loss and diabetes drugs. The EMA announced in Amsterdam that data on the risk of suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm would be checked for the drugs “Ozempic” and “Wegovy” (active ingredient semaglutide) and “Saxenda” (active ingredient liraglutide). Specifically, it is about so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists. The review is expected to be completed in November.
The review was prompted by the Icelandic Medicines Agency after it received reports of suicidal thoughts and self-harm in patients taking liraglutide and semaglutide. So far, the authorities have received and are analyzing about 150 reports of possible cases of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Medicines containing the two active substances are widely available and it is not yet clear whether the reported cases are related to the medicines themselves or to the patients’ underlying diseases or other factors, the EMA said.
Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of “Wegovy”, among other things, the Danish company said in a statement. The active ingredients have also been used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes for years; it has not yet been proven that they cause such side effects.
Published/Updated: Recommendations: 7 Winand von Petersdorff, Washington Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 8 Sebastian Balzter Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 14
The head of Novo Nordisk recently said that the weight loss product “Wegovy”, which is causing a lot of attention, is also to be launched in Germany at the end of July. “Wegovy” has been approved in the EU since the beginning of 2022 and is intended to support weight loss and control together with diet and exercise. The active ingredient is hyped on social media, also because some celebrities are said to have lost weight. When asked about the secret of his appearance in addition to fasting, tech billionaire Elon Musk mentioned the name of the drug.
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