Ozempic diabetes and weight loss medication under investigation after a few reports of suicidal thoughts
This story discusses about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Popular medicines Ozampic and Saxenda – both made by Novo Nordisk in Denmark – are under investigation after a small number of users reported increased thoughts of suicide and self-harm, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reported.
Three people in Iceland reported symptoms — two linked to Ozampic, one to Saxenda — which prompted an EU safety review, according to multiple reports.
Both drugs are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, which have the dual effect of controlling blood sugar and Aids in weight loss.
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Ozampic, an injectable semaglutide, is marketed for the administration of Type 2 diabetes.
Saxenda, which contains liraglutide, is intended for weight loss.
The popular drugs Ozampic and Saxenda – both made by Novo Nordisk in Denmark – are under investigation after a small number of users experienced an increase in thoughts of suicide and self-harm. (iStock)
The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) will also look at whether other GLP-1 drugs should be tested, according to reports.
Dr. Mark Siegel, Professor of Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center And a Fox News medical contributor, noted that “an association does not prove causation.”
Ozempic, an injectable semaglutide, is marketed for the management of type 2 diabetes. (Getty Images)
“It may have more to do with the people who are requesting these drugs — they may have obesity or other medical or psychological problems concurrently and independently,” he told Fox News Digital. told Digital.
“Having said that, it needs to be addressed carefully because these drugs (semaglutides) affect hormones in the brain, and Effects on nutrition can also affect brain function,” Siegel added.
“These drugs affect hormones in the brain.”
An increased risk of suicidal ideation associated with GLP-1 drugs has been known since clinical trials, Dr. According to Angela Fitch, co-founder and chief medical officer of the well-known telehealth “weight-inclusive” health care company. Based in Boston.
“The risk is very small, but exceeds placebo,” Fitch told Fox News Digital.
“This data is available in trials, and suicidal ideation is a listed side effect of many of our obesity medications.”
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The effect is also complicated by the patient’s relationship with food — especially if the patient uses food as a coping mechanism for emotions, Fitch said.
“If you take away the desire to eat and some of the satisfaction of eating, it can be emotionally challenging,” she said.
An increased risk of suicidal ideation associated with GLP-1 drugs has been known since clinical trials, according to a Boston physician. (iStock)
Given this risk, Fitch emphasized the importance of taking these medications as part of a comprehensive chronic disease management plan in an adjunctive clinic model, so that Health care professionals Can monitor for side effects, improve treatment plan and provide emotional support.
Dr. Brett Osborne, a board-certified neurosurgeon and founder of the preventive health care and anti-aging facility Senolytics in Florida, said he has written thousands of prescriptions for Saxenda and Ozampic with no side effects other than nausea.
A doctor recommends taking these medications under the supervision of a health care professional who can monitor for side effects, make adjustments, and provide emotional support. (iStock)
“Both drugs have been around for more than 10 years, and despite being studied extensively, there is no black-box warning about any potential unwanted psychoactive effects,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The fact that many people with type 2 diabetes and/or obesity — and these two disease states often coexist — on either semaglutide (Ozempic) or liraglutide (Sexanda) in any way causes suicidal thoughts. No way,” Osborne added. “These can be (and likely are) independent events.”
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A Novo Nordisk representative issued the following statement.
“GLP-1 receptor agonists have been used for more than 15 years to treat type-2 diabetes and for eight years to treat obesity, including Novo Nordisk products such as semaglutide and liraglutide in 2018 and 2009, respectively. are in the UK market from .”
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“Safety data collected from large clinical-trial programs and post-marketing surveillance have not shown a causal relationship between semaglutide or liraglutide and suicidal or self-harm thoughts.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the company for further comment.
