There’s no doubt that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have been revolutionary — although the benefits do sometimes come with some unsightly downsides such as tooth decay, a droopy face or mouth, a saggy butt and hair loss.
Then there are the more common side effects, like icky gastrointestinal issues, that are at best unpleasant.
Now, a UK regulator is shining on a light on side effects that are much more serious — and even potentially deadly.
The country’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme, the UK’s official system for collecting and monitoring reports of suspected side effects or bad reactions to drugs and devices, has received nearly 400 reports of serious pancreas trouble from users of GLP‑1s.
Acute pancreatitis is a sudden, often extremely painful inflammation of the pancreas that usually sends people to the hospital with severe abdominal pain, nausea and fever.
While in many cases it’s manageable, it can occasionally turn serious or even fatal if it triggers complications.
In the UK alone, there have been at least ten deaths linked to this condition among users of GLP‑1 drugs.
Pamphlets on the popular weight loss drugs note that pancreatitis is an uncommon reaction that only affects one in 100 users — but the condition is deemed serious enough to warrant further investigation.
“Sometimes genes can influence the side‑effects an individual experiences when taking a medicine,” the MHRA told The Guardian, indicating they hope genetic screening might cut future risk.
“Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority,” the pharmaceutical company that makes Mounjaro told The Guardian.
“We take reports regarding patient safety seriously and actively monitor, evaluate and report safety information for all our medicines.”
“We recommend that patients take these medications only for their approved indications and under the strict supervision of a healthcare professional, who can also advise on potential side effects,” Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy, told the outlet.
“We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety. The benefit-risk profile of our GLP-1 medicines remains positive, and we welcome any new research that will improve our understanding of treatments for people living with chronic diseases.”
Although US regulators have not launched a formal investigation, this issue isn’t limited to patients across the pond.
A case study describes a 36-year-old woman in the US who “developed acute pancreatitis within five weeks of exposure to semaglutide therapy.”
The paper references a “study involving 1,269 hospitalized cases of acute pancreatitis demonstrated that patients who were exposed to GLP-1 RAs within the last 30 days were over twice as likely to develop pancreatitis.”
A 2024 analysis also found 6,751 reports of acute pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 drugs between 2005 to 2023.
While US regulators like the FDA have not launched an investigation, they do require all GLP-1s to carry warnings about the risk of acute pancreatitis and are monitoring for this side effect.
