Weight-loss jabs linked to pancreas problems after 10 deaths
Weight-loss jabs have been linked to pancreas problems after 10 patients died.
Hundreds of people have reported problems with their pancreas linked to taking weight-loss and diabetes jabs including Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic, prompting health officials to launch a new study into side effects.
Ten cases of pancreatitis reported to be linked to GLP-1 medicines (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) have been fatal.
Since the GLP-1 medicines were licensed, there have been hundreds of cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis, according to data from the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
These cases are not confirmed as having been caused by the medicines, but the person who reported them suspected they might be.
They include 181 reported cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to tirzepatide - the active ingredient for Mounjaro - and five of those people died.
Some 116 reported reactions of this kind were linked to liraglutide, one of which was fatal, while there were 113 cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to semaglutide - the active ingredient for Ozempic and Wegovy - where one person died, and 101 reported reactions of this kind were linked to exenatide, from which three people died.
Then there were 52 reported reactions linked to dulaglutide and 11 reported reactions linked to lixisenatide, but no fatalities were linked to either drug.
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach that aids in digestion and blood sugar regulation. In severe cases it can lead to organ failure.
Nonetheless, the Yellow Card Biobank project, launched by the MHRA and Genomics England, will see researchers examine whether cases of pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 drugs may be influenced by genetic makeup.
The MHRA is calling for those who are taking GLP-1 medicine, who have been admitted to hospital due to acute pancreatitis, to submit a report to its Yellow Card scheme.
When a Yellow Card report is received, the MHRA will contact patients to ask if they would be willing to take part in the study.
Patients will be asked to submit more information and a saliva sample, which will be assessed to explore whether some people are at a higher risk of acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines due to their genes.
GLP-1 agonists can lower blood sugar levels in people living with type 2 diabetes and can also be prescribed to support some people with weight loss.
Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight-loss jabs.
Health officials have suggested they can help turn the tide on obesity, but have stressed they are not a silver bullet and do come with side effects.
Most side effects linked to the jabs are gastrointestinal including nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.
And the medical regulator recently warned that Mounjaro may make the oral contraceptive pill less effective in some patients.
Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA's chief safety officer, said: 'Evidence shows that almost a third of side effects to medicines could be prevented with the introduction of genetic testing, it is predicted that adverse drug reactions could cost the NHS more than £2.2 billion a year in hospital stays alone.'
She added: 'Information from the Yellow Card Biobank will help us to better predict those most at risk of adverse reactions - enabling patients across the UK to receive the safest medicine for them, based on their genetic makeup.
'To help us help you, we're asking anyone who has been hospitalised with acute pancreatitis while taking a GLP-1 medicine to report this to us via our Yellow Card scheme.
'Even if you don't meet the criteria for this phase of the Biobank study, information about your reaction to a medication is always extremely valuable in helping to improve patient safety.'
Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer of Genomics England, said: ' GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy have been making headlines, but like all medicines there can be a risk of serious side effects.
'We believe there is real potential to minimise these with many adverse reactions having a genetic cause.
'This next step in our partnership with the MHRA will generate data and evidence for safer and more effective treatment through more personalised approaches to prescription, supporting a shift towards an increasingly prevention-focused healthcare system.'
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