Have you been watching local news lately? If so, you may have seen TV ads about diabetes drugs named Ozempic. These ads usually depict healthy users with a good life.
Unfortunately, the reality for some users is quite different. Over 10,000 complained about severe side effects after using Ozempic as of 2021.
Most of them reported gallbladder issues, and now a severe new problem has been associated with Ozempic – gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).
In August 2023, plaintiffs filed Ozempic lawsuits seeking compensation for the life-threatening medical complications suffered.
More lawsuits against Ozempic manufacturers may be filed with time. This post explains Read on to learn why people are filing lawsuits against Ozempic and Mounjaro manufacturers. Read on to learn more.
Latest Ozempic Lawsuit Updates
Ozempic lawsuits were in their infancy as of August 2023, and no jury trials or global settlements had been reached.
Jaclyn Bjorklund was among the first to file lawsuits in Louisiana on August 2, 2023, alleging that Ozempic caused gastroparesis.
Ozempic is a brand name for Semaglutide produced by Novo Nordisk. In her lawsuit, Bjorklund also included Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and named Eli Lilly, the company that manufactures it, as a defendant.
- August 2023: Jaclyn Bjorklund was among the first to file a Mounjaro and Ozempic gastroparesis lawsuit. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly were summoned on August 3.
- July 2023: ASHP, a leading group of pharmacy professionals in the United States, reported a shortage of Ozempic and Wegovy, another semaglutide, from Novo Nordisk due to increased demand.
- August 2022: Judges consolidated seven Novo Nordisk lawsuits in multidistrict litigation in Delaware against manufacturers of generic medications for patent infringement. Defendants had sent applications to the U.S. FDA seeking clearance to produce generic Ozempic.
- August 2022: Lawyers started taking Ozempic gallbladder lawsuits after researchers in JAMA Internal Medicine published a study connecting Ozempic to a greater risk of gallstones and gallbladder disease.
No Ozempic class action lawsuits have been filed, but attorneys are taking personal injury/product liability lawsuits for gastroparesis.
What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Analog-Type medication formerly made to treat Type 2 diabetes.
The drug increases insulin secretion to regulate blood sugar by imitating a hormone called incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1.
Ozempic is administered weekly in the form of an injection. It controls Type 2 diabetes by:
- Arousing insulin secretion so body cells collect glucose during digestion and maintain stable blood sugar levels.
- Speeding up the time food takes to move from the stomach to the intestines, which makes a person remain full for longer.
- Decelerating the release of glucose when food is in the stomach, further maintaining blood sugar levels.
- Suppressing glucagon, a hormone that alerts you when you are hungry.
- Delaying gastric emptying.
Studies show that the GLP-1 class of drugs, such as Ozempic, acts on nerves around the stomach to slow down muscle contraction that usually occurs during digestion.
Fewer contractions mean food stays in the stomach for longer. Unfortunately, sometimes the food remains in the stomach for so long that it solidifies, or the person vomits it days later.
The person may suffer stomach paralysis, a disorder medically known as gastroparesis when the stomach muscles become too slow. The drug manufacturer failed to warn of this painful and potentially life-threatening side effect on the product label.
Is Ozempic FDA Approved?
Yes. The FDA officially approved Ozempic in 2017 as a diabetes management drug.
The drug is injected with a 0.5 or 1mg dose per week. The FDA has since approved Ozempic for other disorders with different dosages.
For instance, the FDA in 2019 approved the manufacturer’s claim that Ozempic can lower the risk of major cardiovascular events in individuals with a record of cardiovascular problems alongside diabetes.
Clinical trials showed that up to 73 percent of Type 2 diabetes patients who use Ozempic could attain the American Diabetes Association’s sanctioned below seven percent blood sugar levels by using the drug. Based on these findings, the FDA approved a higher Ozempic dose (2mg per dose) later in 2022.
During this period, Ozempic commercials claimed that some Ozempic users could lose weight when using the medication.
Why Are People Filing Ozempic Lawsuits?
People filed Ozempic lawsuits because they developed gastroparesis after using the drug.
Gastroparesis is a severe condition that slows food passage from the stomach to the small intestine. Sometimes, the food completely stops passing through the intestines.
Symptoms of this condition include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, acid reflux, severe dehydration, malnutrition, and weight loss.
Since Ozempic is a GLP-1 class drug, attorneys are investigating gastroparesis claims for other meds in the same class.
Other GLP-1 agonists named in the ongoing lawsuits include:
- Mounjaro
- Rybelsus
- Saxenda
- Wegovy
Plaintiffs filed Ozempic lawsuits against Novo Nordisk for failure to warn consumers about the risk of gastroparesis.
The manufacturer mentioned other side effects in Ozempic’s prescription information but withheld information about the risk of severe gastroparesis.
Gastroparesis is incurable, so plaintiffs want compensation for losing quality of life, past and future healthcare costs, and other damages.
Injuries Named in Ozempic Lawsuits
Gastroparesis or stomach paralysis is the primary injury mentioned in recent Ozempic lawsuits. The condition causes severe vomiting that can continue for four or more weeks.
Gastroparesis can also occur alongside gastroenteritis or stomach inflammation.
Bjorklund, who filed an Ozempic and Mounjaro lawsuit, complained that she experienced gastrointestinal issues after using Ozempic and Mounjaro.
She used Ozempic for about a year before switching to Mounjaro in July 2023 and discontinued taking it. She suffered from gastroparesis, which caused severe vomiting and tooth loss.
Bjorklund made many trips to the emergency room and was later hospitalized with gastrointestinal burning, stomach pain, and vomiting hours after eating.
She still takes more meds to manage the excessive vomiting until now.
Who Qualifies to File an Ozempic Lawsuit?
If you used Ozempic for weight loss or any other purpose and developed gastroparesis, you may be eligible to file an Ozempic lawsuit against the drug manufacturer.
Attorneys are currently taking cases from individuals who experienced severe gastroparesis that resulted in vomiting for four or more weeks.
However, you may be ineligible if you underwent gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, or gastric banding surgery before using Ozempic. Similarly, attorneys will unlikely take your case if you undergo cancer treatment.
These standards are guidelines; only an attorney can determine if you qualify for a lawsuit.
Contact a product liability lawyer immediately for a free case evaluation and protect your right to file a lawsuit for potential compensation. There may be a deadline for filing a case, depending on the state where you live.
We Connect You with the Best Mass Tort Lawyers
Now that the first Ozempic lawsuit is on file, many more will likely follow. Hundreds, if not thousands, will file complaints since so many people use the drug.
At Legal Giant, we partner with product liability lawyers with a reputation for protecting consumers harmed by pharmaceutical giants who care about profits rather than keeping the public safe.
You may qualify for compensation if you suffered medical issues after using Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, or other GLP-1 drugs.
Contact us for a free consultation and evaluation of your case.
