Thousands Sue Over GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug Side Effects

A growing wave of lawsuits is challenging the safety warnings accompanying blockbuster weight-loss drugs that have rapidly reshaped American medicine and culture, raising questions about whether patients were adequately informed of the risks tied to medications now used by tens of millions of people.

In court on Jan. 13, Novo Nordisk attorney Katie Insogna said (via USA Today):

75% of the federal lawsuits include an allegation of gastroparesis, also known as “stomach paralysis,” a chronic condition where the stomach slows or stops emptying food into the small intestine;
18% of the cases allege the drugs caused ileus, a condition in which bowel muscles fail to push food and waste out of the body;
18% of the plaintiffs allege intestinal obstructions;
8% say they suffered from gallbladder injuries, with some of these patients requiring surgical removal of gangrenous tissue;
8% of the plaintiffs allege other serious gastrointestinal complications, such as extreme vomiting, chronic acid reflux or abdominal pain that required multiple hospitalizations in some cases. Others say their digestion issues have continued even after they stopped taking the drugs.

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