Lawsuit alleges drugmakers failed to adequately warn patients about the risk for severe stomach problems
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Aug. 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A Louisiana woman is suing the makers of two type 2 diabetes drugs used off-label for obesity, saying they failed to adequately warn about the risk for severe stomach problems.
The lawsuit seeks “very significant” but unspecified compensation from the makers of both Ozempic and Mounjaro, said attorney Paul Pennock of the Orlando, Florida.-based firm Morgan & Morgan.
Pennock filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of Jaclyn Bjorklund, 44, NBC News reported. The lawsuit against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly claims Bjorklund was “severely injured” after taking the two diabetes drugs. Pennock said she is suffering “persistent” vomiting and severe gastroparesis.
The glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists slow food’s movement and have been found to cause some gastrointestinal issues in clinical trials. Those are listed as side effects on the drug labels. Both Ozempic and Mounjaro have the phrase “delays gastric emptying” on their prescribing information, though they do not specifically use the word “gastroparesis,” NBC News reported.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman said it was unclear whether the GLP-1 medications contribute to gastroparesis. “If newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine what actions are appropriate after a thorough review of the body of evidence,” spokeswoman Chanapa Tantibanchachai said in a statement, NBC News reported.
Eli Lilly did not respond to an NBC News request for comment, and a Novo Nordisk spokeswoman said the company was unaware of the lawsuit. “Patient safety is of utmost importance to Novo Nordisk,” said spokeswoman Natalia Salomao. “We recommend patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a health care professional.”
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