A lawsuit could challenge confidence in Ozempic and other popular weight loss drugs

The manufacturers of the most popular weight loss drugs are challenged in court.

A federal court in Philadelphia will soon review the claims against the makers of Ozempic, Wegovy and similar products.

Dozens of patients developed gastrointestinal problems after taking these medications has filed lawsuits that these companies have failed to properly warn patients of the risks.

Weight loss medications are among the most successful products sold in the US recipes increase by a factor of 40 from 2018 to 2023. Scientific studies have supported its safety and efficacy, and doctors prescribe them for a variety of reasons, including to lower the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular events.

In recent years, celebrities and word of mouth have created these drugs go viral on social media. More than 15 million Americans have reported taking these medications since May 2024.

What do patients’ claims about the risks associated with weight-loss medications mean for the future of these products? I am professor of health law who studies regulation of pharmaceutical drugs and access to medicines, and I have been closely monitoring legal developments. Regardless of how the trial ends, I think it could have a major impact on public confidence and the weight-loss drug market.

The medications: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity and Mounjaro

Different types of medications fall under the umbrella of “weight loss medications.” The five drugs at stake in the lawsuit are owned by same class: GLP-1 agonists or analogues, an abbreviation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 agonists help control blood sugar levels. They were originally approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

These medications make people feel full. Doctors began prescribing them for weight control even before the FDA has approved them for that purpose. This is a practice known as off-label prescribing. Prescribing off-label is legal and invoices for more than 20% of prescribing activities in the United States.

The companies: Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk

The Danish company Novo Nordisk makes Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. The American company Eli Lilly makes Trulicity and Mounjaro.

In 2023, Eli Lilly became the world champion most valuable pharmaceutical company. The sale of Trulicity and Mounjaro played a role big roll in realizing this. In 2023, for example, the sale of Mounjaro exceeded $1 billion per quarter. Eli Lilly and analysts predict that revenue from the company’s weight-loss drug will increase substantially between 2024 and 2030.

Novo Nordisk has also made a lot of money in the weight-loss medicine field. Sales of Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus have made it to the top most valuable company by market capitalization in Europe. It is currently worth more than companies like Tesla and Visa and is described by one reporter as the ‘one company that holds its own“the entire Danish economy.

The lawsuit

The lawsuit consolidates dozens of cases brought by patients taking one of these five medications. They were consolidated partly because of the legal grounds for all these cases were similar. The trial is taking place in Pennsylvania because that was the state with the most victims pending legal action. Also from Novo Nordisk American headquarters are located nearby in New Jersey.

The patients in the lawsuit everyone took one of the medications described above. She all suffered gastrointestinal or related problems. These include intestinal obstructions and gastroparesisa slowing or cessation of the movement of food in the stomach.

As for the medical side, the patients claim that these drugs increase the risk of gastrointestinal injuries. On the legal side, they claim that the companies failed to properly warn patients of the risks. The lawsuit also raises questions about whether the companies made incomplete or misleading statements about these drugs. The companies have indicated this they will dispute these claims.

The implications

We won’t know the outcome of the case for a while. But this lawsuit will have immediate consequences.

First, it draws attention to the risks associated with these popular medications. Recent studies have shown that use of GLP-1 agonists is associated with higher rates of gastroparesis, intestinal blockage, and pancreatitis. These problems, and many others, including an increased risk of certain tumors, are both listed as possible side effects by the companies and the FDA.

The lawsuit will likely remind people of that no medicine is without risk and that patients need it Look after of these risks before and during treatment.

Second, although these drugs carry risks, the FDA has reviewed the best available scientific data proofconducted a benefit-risk analysis and decided that the benefits are worth the risk.

However, over the past decade, the FDA’s credibility has declined under fire. Conspiracy theories about the agency fully present on social media. The FDA is often targeted unfounded accusations that it approves harmful drugs and suppresses good ones.

A major legal challenge to weight loss drugs could contribute to the continued erosion of trust in the FDA itself. And at one age of disinformationconspiracy theorists could use the lawsuit to falsely suggest that these, or all, FDA-approved drugs are bad or unsafe.

Finally, less confidence in weight loss medications may ultimately lead to a drop in demand. In the past, lawsuits and misinformation have led to this turnover decreases, which in turn prompted manufacturers to stop making some drugs. This was the case with A Vaccine against Lyme disease which was approved by the FDA in 1998 and discontinued in 2002 due to low sales. Since then, vaccines against Lyme disease for dogs have been marketed, but people Still can’t get one.

Although sales of weight loss drugs are currently stratospheric, sometimes a seemingly isolated event such as a lawsuit can set off a series of long-term effects.

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