Certain popular diabetes drugs commonly used for weight loss — such as Ozempic ,Wegovy, Rybelsus and Saxenda — come with a heightened risk of serious stomach and intestinal problems, according to a ground-breaking study claimed by medical researchers at the University of B.C.
“Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss,” said first author and medical student Mohit Sodhi, via a statement from the university Thursday.
The drugs (GLP-1 agonists) were originally developed for managing Type-2 diabetes but have become popular with people without diabetes to manage their weight. The drug has become so popular, the B.C. government was compelled to protect the province’s supply by restricting online sales to U.S. customers.
Sodhi’s team examined health insurance claim records for approximately 16 million U.S. patients and then looked at a cohort of about 5,400 of people who were prescribed the drug, between 2006 and 2020. Records were compared between users of GLP-1 agonists and other weight-loss drugs (bupropion-naltrexone).
The findings showed a slightly more than nine-fold increased risk of pancreatitis, a 4.2 times higher risk of bowel obstruction, and a 3.7 times higher risk of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).
“The researchers say that although the events are rare, with millions around the world using the drugs, it could still lead to hundreds of thousands of people experiencing these conditions,” noted the university statement.
Prior studies had already highlighted some of these risks on diabetes patients but this one was the first large population-level study examining non-diabetic patients (specifically seeking weight loss); as such, Sodhi said it’s important for these people to re-weigh the risks and benefits.
Sodhi said it is concerning these drugs are obtained online via pharmacies (something B.C. clamped down on) and people generally do not understand the risks.
The team is imploring regulators (ie. Health Canada) and drug producers to consider updating the warning labels for their products.
Ozempic’s website does provide information on some, but not all, of these risks on its website homepage.
“This is critical information for patients to know so they can seek timely medical attention and avoid serious consequences,” said Sodhi.
The study was funded by internal research funds from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and its findings were published in Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) on Oct. 5, 2023.
Glacier Media has reached out to Ozempic producer Novo Nordisk Canada for comment.
