European drug-safety regulators are probing popular weight-loss drug Ozempic after patients reported that the medicine triggered thoughts of suicide and self harm.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) told Reuters on Monday that a safety committee was probing Novo Nordisk-made weight-loss drugs — including Ozempic, Saxenda and Wegovy — after Iceland’s health regulator flagged three cases of patients on the meds having suicidal and self harm-related thoughts.
The Icelandic Medicines Agency found that two Ozempic users and one Saxenda user reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, while one other Saxenda user reported thoughts of self-injury, Reuters reported.
Ozempic, which is billed on Denmark-based Novo Nordisk’s website as a once-a-week shot to treat Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, has recently gained mainstream popularity for its “miraculous” weight-loss effects.
The Post has reached out to Novo Nordisk for comment.
Since the Ozempic craze took both Hollywood and non-celebrities by storm, a series of bizarre side effects have emerged, including “Ozempic butt” where users are claiming that their derrières have flattened along with their tummies.
Users later warned of “Ozempic finger,” where finger and wrist sizes were rapidly shrinking too, causing women to fear that their engagement rings would fall off.
The latest alleged side effect is much more serious.
Novo’s earlier and reportedly less-effective weight-loss shot, Saxenda, was a developed as a “chronic weight management product,” along with obesity-management drug Wegovy.
While no Wegovy patients reported similarly destructive feelings, the EMA — which polices the safety of medicines used in the EU — has launched an investigation into all of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss treatments, plus any other medicines that contain semaglutide or liraglutide.
Both Ozempic and Wegovy are semaglutide injections.
While Novo doesn’t warn Ozempic users about potential side effects to their mental health, the Mayo Clinic very clearly describes semaglutide as a medication that may “cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed.”
However, Novo does include mental health-related warnings for Wegovy, which it says could cause “suicidal behavior and ideation”
Novo’s website recommends that patients taking Wegovy are monitored “for depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.”
Saxenda, meanwhile, is a daily liraglutide injection.
Liraglutide and semaglutide are in the same class of medication. The strong drugs mimic the actions of the GLP-1 hormone, which the pancreas releases after eating that makes people feel full.
Semaglutide is usually preferred for weight-loss treatments as it’s proven to be more effective. It has a longer half-life than its counterpart, meaning it stays in a person’s system for longer and therefore takes longer for the feeling of hunger to hit again.
Like Ozempic, Saxenda was most often used to maintain blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics before it became yet another trendy weight-loss solution.
Saxenda’s website does warn users against taking the drug if they have already experienced or are experiencing “depression or suicidal thoughts, or mental health issues.”
It also lists “depression or thoughts of suicide” as a possible side effect of the medication.
The same warnings are also listed as a potential consequence in leaflets tucked inside the packaging.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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