Following in EU regulators' footsteps, the U.K. has reportedly launched a probe into potential suicide risks for popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is looking into data on suicidal behaviors around GLP-1 receptor agonists, Reuters reports. The move comes shortly after the European Medicines Agency initiated a similar probe triggered by reports of suicidal thoughts and self-injury in people who took GLP-1 drugs.
The U.K. probe is wide-ranging, according to the report. It covers not only Novo Nordisk’s Type 2 diabetes therapy Ozempic and sister weight-loss treatment Wegovy, but also the company’s first-generation obesity med Saxenda, plus AstraZeneca’s diabetes drug Bydureon, Eli Lilly’s Trulicity and Sanofi’s Lyxumia.
The MHRA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Fierce Pharma.
In the U.S., both Wegovy’s and Saxenda’s label already carry warnings about “suicidal behavior and ideation,” whereas none of the GLP-1 diabetes treatments have that. GLP-1 drugs are typically used at lower doses for diabetes than for obesity.
For its part, the EMA started its safety review early July based on reports of 150 possible cases of self-injury and suicidal thoughts.
As for the MHRA, Reuters reported that the U.K. agency started its evaluation on July 12. The MHRA’s drug safety and side effect monitoring system recorded five such reports involving Novo’s semaglutide between 2020 and July 6 of this year, according to Reuters. Both Ozempic and Wegovy are based on semagludie, although Novo has not launched Wegovy in the U.K.
As Novo's Ozempic and Wegovy have gained popularity in recent months and years, reports of various side effects have also cropped up. Before the potential suicide problem, the EMA had flagged a possible risk of thyroid cancer related to GLP-1 drugs. Disruption to the stomach is also among some of the class’ known side effects that have caught public attention.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists last month warned that patients should hold off on their GLP-1 drugs on the day of surgery because of their effects on the gastric system.