Boxes of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain, March 8, 2024.
Hollie Adams | Reuters
European Union drug regulators found no evidence that popular weight loss and diabetes drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic are linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm, the regulator said Friday.
The European Medicines Agency conducted a nine-month investigation into so-called GLP-1, a blockbuster class of treatments that mimic a hormone produced in the gut to suppress a person's appetite. Demand for these drugs has skyrocketed in the last year despite their high prices and low insurance coverage.
The review examined several drugs from Novo Nordisk, including Wegovy and Ozempic. It wasn't included Eli LillyZepbound and Mounjaro are two versions of the same drug sold for weight loss and diabetes. However, the study contained the active ingredient Trulicity, an older diabetes drug from Eli Lilly.
In a statement to CNBC, Novo Nordisk confirmed the results of the EMA's investigation and said it would continue to monitor reports of adverse reactions to its GLP-1s, including suicide and suicidal ideation.
The agency's ruling is the latest in a series of reassuring reports about the suicide risk of GLP-1 patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reached a similar conclusion in January, but said agency officials could not definitively rule out that there was a “low risk.”
Clinical trials from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have shown no link between GLP-1 and suicidal ideation. Still, researchers and doctors have been on the lookout for new unwanted side effects or additional risks as thousands of new patients begin taking the drugs.
The EMA first launched its investigation in July after the Icelandic Medicines Agency reported three cases of suicidal thoughts and self-harm in patients who took drugs containing liraglutide and semaglutide, the active ingredients in the popular treatments.
Semaglutide is the active ingredient used in the diabetes pill Rybelsus from Wegovy, Ozempic and Novo Nordisk. Liraglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's older weight loss drug Saxenda. The investigation also included other active ingredients in older weight loss and diabetes medications, including dulaglutide, exenatide and lixisenatide.
The EMA said on Friday it had analyzed the results of a large US study and found no direct link between the use of semaglutide and suicidal thoughts. Results from another study conducted by the agency also confirmed no link between GLP-1 drugs and the risk of suicidal thoughts.
Both studies were based on electronic health records.
If you are having suicidal thoughts or are in distress, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US or the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 for support and support from a trained counselor.
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