The UK's medicines regulator has received reports of 111 deaths potentially associated with popular weight loss injections including Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Saxenda, according to data from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) covering cases up to May 29, 2024.
The fatalities involve glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), a class of medications that has gained widespread popularity for weight management. While none of the deaths have been proven to be directly caused by the drugs, MHRA officials acknowledge the reports indicate "a suspicion" they may have been to blame.
Breakdown of Fatal Reports by Medication
Among the reported deaths, Saxenda (liraglutide) was associated with the highest number of fatal cases, accounting for 37 reports. Mounjaro (tirzepatide), once hailed as the "King Kong" of slimming jabs, was linked to 33 deaths, while semaglutide—the active ingredient in both Wegovy and the diabetes medication Ozempic—was connected to 30 fatalities.
Additional reports included seven deaths linked to Trulicity (dulaglutide) and five associated with Lyxumia (lixisenatide).
The data reveals that 32 of the total fatal reports involved medications prescribed specifically for weight management, while 40 cases were tied to diabetes treatments. Another nine reports involved patients using the drugs for both weight management and diabetes, and 30 reports involved indications other than weight management or diabetes, or cases where no indication was specified.
Confirmed Fatality Highlights Safety Concerns
The issue gained significant attention following the death of Susan McGowan, a 58-year-old Scottish nurse who experienced multiple organ failure, septic shock, and pancreatitis after taking just two doses of Mounjaro. Her death remains the only confirmed fatality directly linked to these medications in the UK.
The reports are collected through the MHRA's Yellow Card database, established following the 1960s thalidomide scandal to track medication safety. This system allows healthcare professionals and patients to report suspected adverse reactions, helping officials identify potential safety patterns.
Growing Safety Profile Concerns
Medical professionals have reported a range of side effects associated with these medications, including gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as more serious complications including bone fractures, dental problems, and severe mental health impacts such as anxiety and depression.
Earlier this month, several women reported disturbing psychological symptoms after taking Mounjaro, adding to mounting concerns about the medications' safety profile.
Prescribing Practices Under Scrutiny
The revelations come as experts raise concerns about current prescribing practices. Many patients can currently obtain these medications from pharmacies by completing online forms with weight and height details and submitting photographs, leading to misuse among individuals without clinical obesity.
Medical professionals have particularly noted a trend of healthy-weight individuals, mostly young women, seeking these medications to become "beach-body ready," with some ending up in emergency departments after obtaining drugs online under false pretenses.
Organizations including the Society for Acute Medicine have called for tighter restrictions on how these weight-loss products are prescribed, warning of potentially serious risks from the current lenient distribution model.
Industry Response and Regulatory Context
A spokesperson for Lilly UK, the makers of Mounjaro, emphasized that patient safety is the company's "top priority." The company stated: "Regulatory agencies conduct extensive independent assessments of the benefits and risks of every new medicine and Lilly is committed to continually monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety data."
Despite the safety concerns, the UK government is planning to expand access to GLP-1RA medications as part of a broader strategy to tackle obesity. These medications have demonstrated significant efficacy, with some patients losing up to 15 percent of their body weight within a year of treatment.
The MHRA noted that deaths may also be caused by underlying medical conditions or other medications taken simultaneously, making them potentially coincidental rather than drug-related. However, the Yellow Card system remains a vital tool for monitoring drug safety and identifying emerging concerns before they escalate further.
