Our analysis shows that more than 100 US deaths are linked to Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs – including a 28-year-old who died of ‘intestinal mass’ and a pregnant woman

Fat loss shots such as Ozempic and Zepbound have been linked to more than 100 deaths in the US, DailyMail.com can reveal.

One of the victims was a man in his twenties who developed an ‘intestinal mass’, and another was a pregnant woman.

The cases have been recorded in an FDA monitoring system used to track the safety of drugs used in the US, called FAERS.

None of the deaths have been proven to have been directly caused by the injections. But experts say the reports indicate cases where the drugs were suspected to be involved.

There are also concerns about counterfeit versions of the drugs, which are becoming more common as patients struggle to get their hands on the real drug.

Counterfeit versions have been discovered to contain insulin which, if not used in the correct dosage, can cause seizures, coma and even death.

The youngest patient with information was a 28-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with an intestinal mass.

Another fatality involved a woman taking Ozempic while pregnant, which the drug manufacturer advises against after research in pregnant rats with the drug showed their offspring had growth problems and developmental disorders.

In total, the FDA system has recorded 117 fatalities among people taking successful weight-loss drugs since 2018.

Of these, 81 were linked to patients taking semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – while 36 were linked to patients taking tirzepatide, the ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound.

More than half of the deaths linked to semaglutide – 54 deaths, or 66 percent – ​​were recorded after a version of the drug, Wegovy, was approved for weight loss in June 2021. Ozempic is not approved for weight loss, but is prescribed label for this use.

No deaths have been recorded linked to tirzepatide after a version of the drug – Zepbound – was approved for weight loss, but it was only given the green light for this use in November 2023.

The symptoms recorded ranged from seizures to intestinal blockages and pancreatic cancer.

Deaths rose 230 percent in 2023 compared to previous years, although experts said prescriptions also exploded around this time. If there are millions more people using a drug, this increases the risk of fatalities among patients who use it.

None of the American victims who died while taking Ozempic have been identified.

However, last year the family of a 56-year-old mother from Australia said she had died from Ozempic – after being diagnosed with an ‘acute gastrointestinal illness’ and collapsing at home with a ‘brown substance’ foaming from her mouth.

She had lost 30 pounds (16 kg) while taking Ozempic and another weight loss drug as she tried to lose weight for her daughter’s wedding.

Experts told DailyMail.com they were surprised the number of deaths from weight-loss drugs was ‘not higher’.

Toni Adamrovich, a nurse and obesity medicine specialist at TB2 in Ohio who works with patients prescribed semaglutide and tirzepatide, said, “I’m not surprised by this number. I’m actually surprised it’s not higher.

“I say this not because I believe these drugs are inherently dangerous, but because of the increase in their use for weight loss.”

He added: ‘It should be remembered that the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) does not require that a causal relationship between a drug and an event be proven, so it can be ambiguous whether an event was due solely to the reported medication.

‘Conversely, the FDA does not receive reports of all side effects and all deaths are one too many.’

Broken down by drugs, Ozempic had the most fatalities – 56 deaths – followed by Mounjaro – 36 deaths – and Wegovy, three deaths.

There were no deaths related to Zepbound (the active drug is tirzepatide), but 22 were related to other combinations of semaglutide.

Nearly all reports in the FAERS are submitted by the manufacturer – Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly – who are required to report serious adverse events to the FDA.

The FDA previously told DailyMail.com about the figures: ‘Although the FDA relies on the FAERS database as a tool for drug safety monitoring after a product has been approved and marketed, filing a report does not that the information contained therein has been medically confirmed. .

‘The event may be related to the underlying disease being treated, or caused by concurrent use of another drug, or occurred for other reasons.’

They added: ‘Duplicate reporting and increased awareness of an event with a particular product may increase the reported occurrence of an adverse event.’

Compared to the 100 deaths per year associated with weight loss medications, 16,000 are attributed to NSAIDs every 12 months – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat pain and inflammation, such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

The FDA has previously warned that Ozempic can rarely cause an intestinal blockage called ileus because it slows the passage of food through the intestines.

This can cause them to rupture and release their contents into the body, which can lead to sepsis and multiple organ failure if not treated quickly.

Many patients taking the drug are also obese, which puts them at greater risk for serious side effects due to any complications caused by the drug.

Ozempic and its competitors have become increasingly well-known in recent years, with as many as 9 million prescriptions written for the drugs in the last three months of 2022 alone, the most recent available – a 300 percent increase in three years.

Data showed that Eli Lilly’s Zepbound overtook Wegovy in March – adding 6,000 prescriptions in a month, for a total of 77,590.

Deaths can be reported to FAERS by physicians, consumers, manufacturers, family members and others.

No medical documentation will be requested on the initial report, but those who submit one will be asked to provide detailed information about the adverse event.

Reports are reviewed and continually monitored by FDA investigators to detect drug side effects that may not have been picked up in clinical trials.

The agency previously used it to add the side effect of ileus to the warning label – or a partial or complete blockage of the small intestine.