CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell gets exclusive access inside a Mounjaro manufacturing plant. This prescription medication is approved by the FDA to treat Type 2 diabetes and has recently ramped up off-label use for weight loss. Without insurance, a one-month supply costs more than $1,000. Mounjaro is trying to meet the increased demand, as it awaits FDA approval as a weight loss medication.
A new study suggests people taking popular injected medications for weight loss, including Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda and Victoza, may be at higher risk for serious digestive problems such as stomach paralysis, pancreatitis, and bowel obstructions, compared with those taking other types of weight loss medications.
Previous CNN reporting highlighted cases of stomach paralysis in people who had taken these drugs and the lack of warning about that specific side effect to patients. They looked for patients who were prescribed two injected drugs — semaglutide and liraglutide. Both drugs belong to a class called GLP-1 agonists and slow the passage of food through the stomach. They can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and lead to substantial weight loss for people with or without diabetes.
Over the years reviewed, the researchers found that people taking Ozempic and Saxenda were much more likely to develop serious stomach and intestinal problems compared with those who were taking Contrave. For pancreatitis, there was a 0.5% incidence of pancreatitis in people taking Ozempic, a 0.8% risk in people taking Saxenda, and a 0.01% incidence in people taking Contrave, representing a more than ninefold increase.
In the group of about 650 people taking Contrave, by contrast, there were three cases of stomach paralysis, two bowel obstructions, one case of pancreatitis, and 16 cases of biliary disease. Still, this is the first time researchers have been able to put numbers to these risks, which have previously only been described by doctors and patients who have noticed them.
One thing that may affect the study findings, Musgrave said, is that there were many more patients taking the injected drugs than were taking Contrave. Another may be that while the study authors controlled their data for things like age, sex, alcohol use, smoking and high cholesterol, they didn’t compare the effect of body mass index, or BMI.
“We recommend patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using a GLP-1 based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile,” the statement said.
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