Drug regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.
The European Medicines Agency regulatory committee announced
the results of its review on Friday. It’s the latest group to conclude there’s
no known tie between a new class of obesity drugs and suicide.
In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a
preliminary review showed no evidence of such a link, though the agency said it
could not rule out that “a small risk may exist” and that it would continue to
study the issue. A federally funded U.S. study also found that people taking
semaglutide, the medication in Ozempic and Wegovy, had a lower risk of suicidal
thoughts than those taking older medications to treat diabetes and obesity.
The review by the European Union’s regulators was triggered
last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of
self-harm. The regulators examined studies, post-marketing data and other
research related to medications used in nearly a dozen drugs used to treat the
diseases. The group did not review information regarding tirzepatide, the
medication used in drugs sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Both agencies said they would continue to closely monitor
reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in people taking the drugs known as
GLP-1 receptor agonists. Patients taking the drugs should report any mental
health or other problems to their health care providers, officials said. AP