Lawsuits Filed by Users of Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Mounjaro, and Zepbound

RPWB lawyers are filing lawsuits on behalf of individuals who developed stomach paralysis (called gastroparesis), ileus/intestinal blockage and a type of vision loss called NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) after using GLP-1RA drugs. These drugs, better known by the names Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, are used to manage diabetes and for weight loss.

As the popularity of Ozempic, Mounjaro and similar drugs rises, complaints that the drugs are causing serious gastrointestinal injuries including gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis, have also been coming to the surface. As of February 2024, about five dozen lawsuits had been filed in federal court. They were consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the litigation will take place. Some estimates indicate that as many as 10,000 users of weight loss drugs have developed or have the potential to develop gastroparesis, intestinal blockage and other severe side effects.

The makers of Ozempic and the other drugs do not currently disclose that gastroparesis is a possible side effect. We believe that it is wrong to mislead doctors and patients by omitting common side effects.

If you or a loved one developed gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) or ileus/intestinal blockage after using weight loss drugs, please call us to begin your free, no-obligation case review. You may be entitled to significant compensation. Your participation also helps keep the pharmaceutical industry honest with their marketing to patients and doctors.

RPWB attorneys are known for their work on behalf of pharmaceutical patients who suffer from severe side effects. Our law firm is a 2024 Best Law Firm as rated by Best Lawyers and is a 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm. RPWB has served as lead counsel in 7 national pharmaceutical and medical device lawsuits, and has helped thousands of people nationwide.

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Ozempic, Mounjaro and Similar Drugs’ Impact on Digestion

Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are nearly identical diabetes and weight loss drugs made by the same manufacturers, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. The drugs are mostly administered by injection under the skin, usually once per week. However, Rybelsus comes in pill form and is administered orally. They are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs that reduce blood sugar and energy intake by mimicking the actions of a hormone that is released by the body after eating. Patients report feeling full despite not consuming as much food as they normally do.

One of the roles of GLP-1 is to slow the passage of food through the stomach, which helps people feel fuller longer. However, if the stomach slows down too much, it causes problems. Gastroparesis occurs when the stomach is no longer processing food at an appropriate speed. It causes nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. It can also cause problems with blood sugar levels, nutrition and dehydration. The slowdown in processing food can also lead to intestinal blockages.

There’s nothing on the labels of Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Mounjaro, and Zepbound that specifically cautions about the possibility of developing gastroparesis. For some people, the gastroparesis subsides after use of the drug is discontinued, but for others the painful condition persists. It sometimes requires hospitalization.

Recently, the American Society of Anesthesiologists has acknowledged the drug’s impact on digestion. The organization warned that patients should stop using Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Mounjaro, and Zepbound  a week before surgery. The drugs can increase the risk that patients will aspirate — or regurgitate food — during an operation, even if they have fasted. Vomiting under anesthesia can cause food and stomach acid to get into the lungs, a cause of pneumonia and other problems.

Despite some of the negative aspects of the drug, sales of Ozempic and Wegovy have taken off in recent years thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign on television and social media that has highlighted the drugs for their role in helping people lose weight. In the first nine months of 2023, Ozempic brought in $9.4 billion in revenue, an increase of 59 percent from the same period in 2022. Wegovy’s sales increased 730 percent.

Eli Lilly, meanwhile, has experienced similar financial success, especially with Mounjaro, which brought in $5 billion in sales in 2023, the drug’s first full year on the market.

The success has prompted Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to upgrade their financial projections for the coming years. But they haven’t yet updated the warning label and literature about the drugs’ potential side effects.