Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus Lawsuits
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Minnesota Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus Lawsuits
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus Injuries
Patients who have taken the blockbuster weight loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus may be at higher risk of experiencing serious injuries. Ozempic and Rybelsus are prescribed for type-2 diabetes, although many doctors prescribe them off-label for weight loss. Wegovy is specifically prescribed for weight loss. All told, the three drugs generate billions of dollars in annual profits. However, studies have found that use of these drugs can lead to an increased risk of serious injuries such as stomach paralysis and intestinal blockage. Injuries linked to Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus include:
- Bowel Obstruction
- Chronic Vomiting
- Intestinal Blockage (ileus)
- Stomach Paralysis (Gastroparesis)
- Stomach Injuries
- Eating Disorders
- Suicidal Thoughts or Behavior
Minnesota Ozempic Lawyers
At Goldenberg Lauricella, we have over 38 years of experience representing patients who have suffered life-changing injuries at the hands of Big Pharma. Our Minneapolis Ozempic lawyers have the expertise you need to take on one of the largest drugmakers in the world. It is wrong that patients are just now discovering the very serious risks of taking drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. Protect your rights today. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your potential Ozempic lawsuit.
How Do Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus Cause Weight Loss?
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which produce a synthetic version of the GLP-1 hormone in the intestines to promote insulin secretion and reduce glucose released by the liver. The activation of the GLP-1 receptor slows the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestines and activates neurons that signal the brain to reduce food intake. As a result, patients feel more full after eating less food and feel fuller for longer. Some patients report that they have to set a timer to remind themselves to eat when using Ozempic.
Who Manufactures Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus?
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Ozempic and Wegovy are injectable medications and Rybelsus is an oral tablet.
Ozempic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 to treat type-2 diabetes. In recent years, Ozempic’s popularity has exploded with doctors prescribing it off-label for weight loss.
Wegovy is a higher-dose version of Ozempic approved by the FDA in 2021 specifically for weight loss.
Rybelsus is an oral tablet version of Ozempic that was approved by the FDA in 2019 to treat type-2 diabetes. It was the first non-injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in the United States.
There are no approved generic versions of these drugs, and the FDA has warned patients against taking compounded versions of the drugs. Due to high demand in Summer 2023, many patients resorted to compounded versions of the drugs with some reporting adverse side effects.
Busy Schedule?
Aggressive Marketing Aids Ozempic Popularity
Novo Nordisk’s marketing and dissemination of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus has recently come under scrutiny for its aggressive promotion of the drugs. In addition to ads flooding every major social media network and every nook and cranny of the internet, ads for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus can be found on billboards, buses, and just about every commercial break on television. If it feels like the ads are inescapable, there are several good reasons for that:
- Novo Nordisk has spent at over $884 million on television ads for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus since 2017.
- In 2022, Novo Nordisk spent approximately $11 million on perks for doctors to promote Ozempic.
- The hashtag #Ozempic has over 1.3 billion views on TikTok.
Ozempic Label Change Timeline
The FDA has updated Ozempic’s label multiple times to include warnings for injuries that patients taking the drug have suffered. A timeline of Ozempic’s approval and ensuing label changes shows the gradual progression of injuries linked to the drug.
December 5, 2017: FDA approves Ozempic in 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg formulations to treat type-2 diabetes.
January 16, 2020: FDA approves Ozempic to be used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in adults with type-2 diabetes.
April 12, 2021: FDA warns of risk of hypoglycemia when Ozempic is used in combination with an insulin secretagogue or insulin.
March 28, 2022: FDA warns of risk of acute gallbladder disease after post-market monitoring found increased rates among patients treated with Ozempic.
March 28, 2022: FDA reports that patients taking Ozempic 2mg experienced adverse gastrointestinal reactions at a higher rate compared to patients taking Ozempic 1mg.
September 22, 2023: FDA warns of risk of intestinal blockage, also known as Ileus, after receiving 18 reports of stomach blockages linked to Ozempic.
If you or a loved one has taken Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus and suffered one of the injuries above, contact the Minnesota Defective Drug Attorneys at Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC for a free consultation.
September 2023 FDA Label Change
On September 28, 2023 the FDA updated Ozempic’s label to warn that intestinal blockage is a side effect of taking the drug. An intestinal blockage, known as ileus, can be a fatal condition if left untreated. The FDA announcement came after the agency received over 8,500 complaints of gastrointestinal injuries from patients taking Ozempic and Wegovy and 18 confirmed reports of intestinal blockages among patients taking Ozempic.
The label change was announced just months after a May 2023 study found that patients who use GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic for at least 18 months are at a higher risk of experiencing intestinal blockages. The study theorizes that GLP-1 drugs can continuously stretch the intestines and ultimately cause the small intestine to “become as inelastic and fibrotic as a loose spring.”
Ozempic, Wegovy, & Rybelsus Lawsuit FAQs
Ozempic Frequently Asked Questions
Ozempic is an injectable semulglutide medication originally approved to treat type-2 diabetes in 2017. Since its approval, doctors have prescribed Ozempic off-label for weight loss.
As of October 2023, Ozempic has not been recalled. The FDA updated Ozempic’s label in September 2023 to warn about intestinal blockages as a potential side effect of the drug.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a serious injury after taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus, you may have a claim against the manufacturer Novo Nordisk. Call Goldenberg Lauricella today at 1-800-903-1643 or e-mail us at intake@goldenberglaw.com for a free Ozempic lawsuit consultation.
The active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, semaglutide, is the same. Wegovy is simply a higher dose version of Ozempic. Aside from the dosage, the main difference between Ozempic and Wegovy is the approved use. Ozempic was approved to treat type-2 diabetes and has been prescribed off-label for weight loss. Wegovy was approved strictly for weight loss.
Ozempic and Rybelsus have the same active ingredient, semaglutide. The difference between Ozempic and Rybelsus is that Ozempic is a weekly injectable version of the semaglutide and Rybelsus is a daily oral tablet.
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus have been linked to the following injuries:
- Bowel Obstruction
- Chronic Vomiting
- Intestinal Blockage
- Stomach Paralysis (Gastroparesis)
- Stomach Injuries
- Eating Disorders
- Suicidal Thoughts or Behavior
There is no definitive data showing that Ozempic causes cancer. However, the Ozempic label warns that the medication has caused Thryoid C-Cell Tumors in rodents.
Gastroparesis is a condition that weakens the nerves and muscles in the stomach, ultimately preventing the stomach from emptying properly. Also known as stomach paralysis, gastroparesis can be serious if left untreated. Some users of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus have reported experiencing gastroparesis after taking the drugs.
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