Paulsen Bronston tried different medications to manage his diabetes, to no avail, before his doctor suggested a new drug. In 2018, the doctor advised Bronston, who lives in the Navajo Nation, to take Ozempic to lower his blood sugar. The benefits outweighed any risk of side effects, his physician said. Bronston, of Kayenta, Arizona, a small town east of the Grand Canyon, continued to take Ozempic for several months even though he experienced severe diarrhea and discomfort. One day, the pain was unbearable.”I started hurting really bad. I got yellow eyes and stuff like that,” Bronston said. “Next thing you know, I was in the hospital, having my gallbladder removed.”Bronston and dozens of other patients are suing Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the two companies that make drugs within this class of medication, saying they suffered distressing digestive symptoms, such as gallbladder removal or gastroparesis, after taking the drug. Millions of Americans have flocked to this popular class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, or glucagon-like peptide 1, which are prescribed for diabetes and weight loss and have become a blockbuster category of medications for drug companies. More than five dozen lawsuits accuse Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly of failing to notify patients about the side effects of their popular diabetes or weight loss drugs. Those drugs include Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, and Eli Lilly’s Trulicity and Mounjaro. These personal injury cases have been centralized under a federal judge in Philadelphia because they share common elements involving the same class of drugs. Among the more than five dozen lawsuits thus far, Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, faces the most suits. However, the attorneys expect the case will eventually include thousands of others who say they were harmed. In a statement, representatives of Novo Nordisk said the cases are without merit and the company intends to “vigorously defend against these claims.”The Denmark-based company said its GLP-1 drugs to treat diabetes and weight loss have been on the market for 13 years and have been studied extensively. Novo Nordisk makes the diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. On March 8, the drugmaker gained FDA approval to market Wegovy to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems.”Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines,” according to the statement. “Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1 medicines when they are used as indicated and when they are taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.”Eli Lilly, which makes and sells the diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Trulicity, said in a statement that patient safety is the company’s top priority.
All data is taken from the source: http://usatoday.com
Article Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/03/21/lawsuits-ozempic-wegovy-weight-loss-drugs-diabetes-harmful/72947158007/
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