A Louisiana woman is suing the makers of the injectable medications Ozempic and Mounjaro after she said she suffered severe gastrointestinal issues after taking the drugs.
The drug semaglutide, which is used for the brand Ozempic and Wegovy, was developed to treat diabetes but has become a popular way to help people lose weight, with multiple celebrities admitting to taking it.
In the lawsuit filed Aug. 2, attorneys for Jaclyn Bjorklund said she used Ozempic for over a year until starting before taking Mounjaro in July 2023. The 44-year-old woman is suing the makers for both drugs Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for failing to warn of the risk of gastroparesis and gastroenteritis.
“As a result of using Defendants’ Ozempic and Mounjaro, Plaintiff was caused to suffer from severe gastrointestinal events, and as a result sustained severe and permanent personal injuries, pain, suffering, and emotional distress, and incurred medical expenses,” the lawsuit reads.
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Patient was hospitalized with stomach pain, suit says
Bjorklund experienced severe vomiting, gastrointestinal burning and was hospitalized for stomach pain, the suit alleges. Some of her teeth fell out during the excessive vomiting, and she threw up whole foods hours after eating, the document added.
The suit said the drug makers failed to disclose the link between GLP-1 agonists and the risk of developing severe gastrointestinal issues, making the medication warnings insufficient — the document, however not say whether Bjorklund was diagnosed with gastroparesis.
USA TODAY has reached out to Bjorklund’s attorneys as well as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for comment.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for all the pain, suffering, emotional distress and incurred medical expenses that Bjorklund endured, attorney’s fees and additional court costs faced during the litigation process.
Both drug makers list side effects on drugs
Unlike Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and and Wegovy, which use semaglutide, Eli Lilly uses tripeptide for Mounjaro. Both semaglutide and tripeptide mimic a the naturally made hormone GLP-1 to slow the passage of food to the stomach to slow the process of becoming hungry.
The prescribing information for Ozempic states taking the drug comes with the risk of frequent adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. In the section detailing drug interactions, Novo Nordisk notes that Ozempic can possibly slow gastric emptying, which could affect the absorption of oral medications.
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Similarly, Mounjaro’s prescribing information lists predominant adverse events including nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, dyspepsia and abdominal pain. Eli Lilly highlights that Mounjaro can possibly delay gastric emptying, potentially leading to impacts on the absorption of medications.
“Patient safety is of utmost importance to Novo Nordisk,” a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk told The Hill in response to the lawsuit. “We are continuously monitoring the safety profile of our products and collaborate closely with authorities to ensure patient safety, including adequate information on gastrointestinal side effects in the label.”
Eli Lilly said the company prioritizes patient safety above all else and that they are actively “monitoring, evaluating and reporting safety information for all our medicines,” according to the Hill.
