2024-03-21 23:51:45
Ozempic has been the drug that has caused the most talk in 2023, for better or worse. This drug is just the most visible face of a string of compounds known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Reviewing the effects. Now the agency in charge of regulating medicines in the United States, the FDA, is studying possible new side effects of this family of treatments, originally designed to fight diabetes but which have gained popularity as weight loss drugs.
This investigation is limited to the agency’s monitoring mechanism, the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). It is therefore an open investigation in which data is still being collected.
The agency therefore speaks of problems potentials of security. “This means that the FDA has identified a potential safety problem, but it does not mean that (…) it has identified a causal relationship between the drug and the cited risk,” the FAERS system page clarifies.
Hair loss, aspiration and suicidal thoughts. The possible adverse effects added to the monitoring system are three: Hair loss, aspiration (the accidental inhalation of foreign objects, for example when eating food) and suicidal thoughts.
The drugs included in the list are GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide, type 1) receptor agonists. This family of medications includes semaglutide, liraglutide, or tirzepatide, active compounds in a variety of medications marketed under different brand names, from Ozempic to Zepbound.
These compounds were originally designed as treatments against diabetes, but their approval as drugs against cases of overweight and obesity skyrocketed their popularity as a method for losing weight.
What we already knew. Until now we know some side effects of these drugs, very often related to the digestive system, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation; as well as headaches.
The most serious adverse effects detected in this family of medications have to do, however, with the possible appearance of kidney failure or pancreatitis. However, it has also been considered a possible increased risk of developing thyroid cancer.
Surveillance on several fronts. The news has been released just a few weeks after the FDA itself warned consumers of the existence of counterfeits of this product. The agency therefore recommended paying attention to details such as serial numbers.