Over 200 deaths suspected of being linked to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic & Mounjaro in UK
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Over 200 deaths suspected of being linked to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic & Mounjaro in UK
Over 200 deaths suspected of being linked to the weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro have been reported to the health officials in the United Kingdom, the latest figures have revealed
Over 200 deaths suspected of being linked to the weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro have been reported to the health officials in the United Kingdom, the latest figures have revealed. UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that it has received reports of more than 158,000 adverse reactions linked to the medications
The incidents were reported under MHRA’s Yellow Card Scheme. The data from the scheme indicated 106,189 adverse reactions, including gastrointestinal problems, and 120 deaths have been reported regarding tirzepatide – sold under the brand name Mounjaro
As per the data, some 48,089 reactions and 59 deaths have been reported as suspected of being linked to semaglutide. It is pertinent to note that the active ingredient is for the weight-loss drug Wegovy. It is also actively used as an ingredient for diabetes treatments Ozempic and Rybelsus
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Apart from this, a total of 4,491 adverse reactions and 37 deaths have been reported as being suspected to be linked to liraglutide, which is sold in the UK under the brand name Saxenda, which is also used to treat diabetes under different brand names
Based on suspicion
The regulator said that adverse reactions and deaths reported to its Yellow Card Scheme do not necessarily mean that they were caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have been
In light of this, an MHRA spokesperson said: “It is important to place these reports in the context of the millions of GLP-1 prescriptions issued in the UK.” “Reporting volumes can be influenced by increased use, greater awareness of a potential adverse reaction and other factors. As with all medicines, the safety of GLP-1s is kept under continual review, including emerging evidence from spontaneous data and scientific publications.”
“Any potential updates regarding the safety of these medicines would be promptly communicated to patients and healthcare professionals, and appropriate steps taken to mitigate any identified risk. Based on the current evidence, the benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists outweigh the potential risks when used in line with their authorised uses,” he added
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While speaking to the BBC, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We have a whole system of health safety regulations in place where experts will do monitoring of any adverse impacts, of any safety reports, any concerns that are raised.”
“And the good thing about the fact that we have a National Health Service means that all of those reports can be collected together – all of them can be monitored. And we ensure that those experts, the expert regulators, are monitoring that at all times and making sure if there are any wider concerns, if there are any issues that need to be raised, then they are brought to the health secretary, to health ministers, as well as to the public, to make sure that safety is always paramount,” she added.
HealthUnited Kingdom
First Published:Aug 07, 2026, 11:21:57 IST
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