Ozempic and other weight loss drugs linked to 162 US deaths: report

Weight loss shots like Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked to 162 deaths in the United States over the past six years, according to the Daily Mail.

These casualties are listed in the FDA’s FAERS (FDA Adverse Event Reporting System) database, which stores reports on adverse reactions, safety concerns and quality complaints about drugs after they are marketed.

These reports can be submitted by medical staff, manufacturers and patients themselves.

While none of the deaths have proven to be explicitly caused by semaglutide injections, reports indicate they were a factor in the fatalities.

According to the report, instances of death where these drugs are mentioned have risen 40% over the past six months.

This rise is reflected in a series of publicized complications, including Juanita Gantt, a Pennsylvania mom who is suing the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, claiming she nearly died from taking the prescription drugs and wasn’t properly warned about potentially harrowing side effects.

Last year, an Australian woman who took Ozempic to shed a few pounds before her daughter’s wedding died from gastrointestinal illness her family claims was caused by the medication.

Since 2018, the FDA’s system has recorded 62,000 reactions to weight loss drugs like Ozempic. The bulk of these reactions were recorded in the past two years following the explosion in popularity of semaglutides.

Within the FAERS database, a total of 10,000 reactions were classified as “serious,” or where a patient was hospitalized or suffered from a life-threatening event.

Ozemipc has not been FDA-approved for weight management but is approved to help people with type 2 diabetes. However, doctors have been prescribing it “off-label” in recent years due to the surge in popularity for weight loss. 

In March 2024, Wegovy became “the first weight loss medication to also be approved to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight,” according to a press release by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

These drugs were originally created for diabetics because they stimulate insulin release and reduce blood sugar after eating. However, in recent years, a serious surge of people have been using the drugs to lose weight.

Ozempic warns of side effects on its website, like pancreatic inflammation, low blood sugar, kidney problems, serious allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and more.

In 2023, the FDA updated the Ozempic label to acknowledge complaints of blocked intestines in some people who have taken the medication.

Commonly reported side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. Ozempic has also been linked to vision loss and an increase in “reckless behavior.”

Recent research shows users tend to quit taking the drugs if they are frustrated by the side effects.

Serious side effects and death have not discouraged people from partaking. A recent Gallup poll revealed that six percent of all U.S. adults, approximately 15.5 million people, have tried Ozempic or other brand-name medications, with three percent using these meds specifically for weight loss.