Fat jab warning as more than 100 deaths linked to weight loss drugs, watchdog warns

The Sun

4 hours ago

WEIGHT loss jabs. including Mounjaro and Wegovy, have been linked to more than 100 deaths in the UK, new figures have revealed.
But none of the fatalities are proven to have been caused directly by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-RA) medicines.
A total of 111 "suspected adverse drug reactions with a fatal outcome" have been logged by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) up to and including May 29 - since the jabs were licensed for us in the UK.
Reports of the fatalities' side effects indicate "suspicion" the jabs may have been to blame.
Responding to a freedom of information (FOI) request from Chemist + Druggist (C+D), the MHRA added: "Underlying or previously undiagnosed illness unrelated to the medicine can also be factors in such reports."
The drugs - which are also used to treat diabetes - have soared in popularity since Wegovy and Mounjaro were launched for the use of weight loss in the UK in 2023.
From the point of licensing until the end of May, the GLP-1 RA linked to most deaths through reports was liraglutide, which is sold under the brand name Sazenda for weight management.
There were 37 reports with a fatal outcome.
The second most mentioned drug in the reports was tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, with 33 reports.
And 30 deaths were linked to semaglutide, which is licensed for weight loss under the name Wegovy.
A further seven reports were linked to dulaglutide and five to lixisenatide.
The MHRA added that of the 111 fatal reports it had received, 32 involved jabs indicated for "weight management alone" or the drug was "only licensed for weight management - Mounjaro, Saxenda, Wegovy".
And 40 reports related to drugs with an indication for "diabetes alone", it added.
Another nine reports referred to patients taking GLP-1 RAs for "both weight management and diabetes".
And 30 reported a fatal outcome "with an indication other than weight management or diabetes, or where no indication has been reported".
The MHRA's 'Yellow Card' database - established in the UK in 1964 in the wake of the thalidomide scandal - tracks the safety of medications currently in use in Britain.
It told C+D: "All adverse reaction reports received by the Yellow Card Scheme are individually assessed and cumulative information reviewed at regular intervals.
"If appropriate, regulatory action would be taken if any serious risks were confirmed."
A spokesperson for Eli Lilly UK, the company that manufacturers Mounjaro, said patient safety is a "top priority".
It also told Mail Online: "Regulatory agencies conduct extensive independent assessments of the benefits and risks of every new medicine and Lilly is committed to continually monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety data.
"If anyone is experiencing side effects when taking any Lilly medicine, they should talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional."
Sun Health has also contacted Novo Nordisk, that manufacturers Wegovy, for comment.
Like all medicines, weight loss injections can cause side effects.
These can range from mild, like nausea and vomiting, to more serious, though rare, issues such as pancreatitis or gallbladder problems.
Sometimes the side effects can prove positive - one woman claims they cured her addictive personality.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.