Alert as well being watchdog warns sufferers weight reduction jabs can set off life-threatening facet impact: ‘It’s vital to know the signs’
Health chiefs have warned that GLP-1 medication increases risk of developing severe inflammation of the pancreas – which can be fatal.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has updated the product information for Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro to include that there is a ‘small risk of severe acute pancreatitis’, a painful condition which occurs over a short period of time when the pancreas becomes inflamed, to the official .
Typical symptoms include extreme pain in the stomach and back, which does not go away. Pancreatitis can also cause a fever and vomiting.
It advises users of the drug to see a doctor immediately if they experience this.
The illness is a known but infrequent side effect of these drugs and can be particularly severe in some cases.
The pancreas is a pear-shaped organ behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and insulin.
Most patients start to feel better within a week but others can develop complications, including necrosis, where the tissue of the pancreas starts to die.
This can cause infection, sepsis and organ failure – leading to death.
Susan McGowan, 58, from Lanarkshire, died from multiple organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis in September 2024 after taking two low-dose injections of tirzepatide
This was the case for Susan McGowan, who died from multiple organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis after taking two low-dose injections of tirzepatide
The death certificate for the 58-year-old nurse from North Lanarkshire, who died in September 2024, listed acute pancreatitis as one of the immediate causes of death. Her use of Mounjaro (or tirzepatide) was recorded as ‘a contributing factor’.
It was the first death officially linked to the drug in the UK.
At the time, Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer for the MHRA expressed sympathy for Susan’s family, but insisted: ‘On the basis of the current evidence, the benefits [of these drugs] outweigh the potential risks when used for the licensed indications.’
In England, Wales and Scotland 1.6million people are thought to have used drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro in the last year or so.
GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels and were initially developed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes.
A number of these drugs are now recommended on the NHS to help people lose weight, including semaglutide, under the brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro.
Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, said: ‘Patient safety is the MHRA’s top priority and we continually monitor the safety and efficacy of all licensed medicines.
‘For the vast majority of patients who are prescribed GLP-1s, they are safe and effective medicines which deliver significant health benefits.
‘The risk of developing these severe side effects is very small, but it is important that patients and healthcare professionals are aware and alert to the associated symptoms.
‘If you, or someone you care for, is taking GLP-1s and you notice symptoms such as severe, persistent stomach pain that may radiate to the back and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, then we advise you speak to a healthcare professional and report it via our Yellow Card scheme.’
