The deaths of two people from Northern Ireland have potentially been linked to weight loss injections approved for use on the NHS.
The two cases are among more than 500 suspected adverse drug reactions reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) related to GLP-1s.
In the two fatal cases, reports indicate that one had taken Mounjaro – the so-called ‘King Kong’ of fat-busting jabs – and the other reaction was linked to an unidentified semaglutide medication.
Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus – which is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes – all contain semaglutide, which mimics hormones released in response to eating.
The MHRA said a report of a suspected reaction ‘does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have.’
It added: ‘Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, or the events could be coincidental.’
The reports submitted show the deaths were of a man and woman, one in their 60s and the other in their 40s.
Earlier this year the MHRA issued a warning about the risk of developing severe inflammation of the pancreas which can be fatal, which is often linked to gallstones, a common side effect of the jabs.
The MHRA said it did not hold information as to whether the medication associated with the reported deaths was prescribed, bought from a pharmacy or from an illegitimate supplier
The drug watchdog updated the product information for the GLP-1s to highlight the ‘small risk of severe acute pancreatitis’.
The main symptom of pancreatitis is severe abdominal pain that radiates to the back and does not go away. Anyone who experiences this should seek immediate medical help.
The MHRA is urging users who experience any serious adverse side-effects to report the complications to authorities using the regulator’s Yellow Card scheme so it can ‘act promptly to mitigate any identified risk’.
Over the last two years there have been 511 reports from Northern Ireland alone, with 242 of these classed as serious.
In the UK, figures are estimated to be much higher with around 2million people thought to be using the jabs, many of which are bought privately.
The MHRA said it has received more than 1,296 Yellow Card reports of pancreatitis associated with the drugs since they were first launched.
There have been further reactions and deaths linked to other side-effects following the use of GLP-1 medications.
Health officials maintain that whilst the jabs have revolutionised obesity treatment, GLP-1s are not a silver bullet and they do come with side-effects.
Most side effects linked to the jabs are gastrointestinal including nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.
Last week, researchers warned that the fat busting jabs could even leave users ‘worse off than before’, if they pile fat back on when they stop taking them.
The study, by scientists at the University of Cambridge, found users typically regain an average of 60 per cent of the weight they lose within a year of stopping treatment.
The experts are concerned that if the weight regained is disproportionately fat, individuals may ultimately be worse off than before, putting them at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Furthermore, a new study found that there are twenty individual health problems linked to weight-loss jabs.
The complaints identified range from mild fainting episodes to more worrying concerns such as kidney stones and arthritis.
