Dozens of Britons died after taking Ozempic and similar drugs
More than 80 people in the UK have died after using diabetes medications also taken for weight loss, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent, citing the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The drugs include Ozempic, made by Danish company Novo Nordisk, and Mounjaro, produced by U.S. pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
As of late January, the MHRA reported 22 deaths linked to weight loss use of these drugs and 60 deaths related to diabetes treatment. About 400 people have required hospitalization since these medications became available.
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a diabetes drug available in doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg. It was approved in the U.S. by the FDA in December 2017.
A Harvard University study found that semaglutide-based drugs significantly increase the risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy—a condition caused by blocked arteries supplying the optic nerve, potentially leading to blindness due to lack of oxygen.
Earlier, reports surfaced about concerns regarding a potential link between semaglutide-based medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, and a rare eye condition known as nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).