EU regulator looks into possible weight loss drug self harm risk

11 July 2023

The safety monitoring committee of the European Medicines Agency is to investigate a potential connection between the use of certain Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) products and suicidal thoughts.

The EMA is responding to a small number of cases where patients taking the diabetes med Ozempic (semaglutide) or weight loss drug Saxenda (liraglutide) had thoughts of self harm.

These cases were flagged by the Icelandic Medicines Agency, with the European agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) agreeing to discuss the matter, as part of its routine safety review program.

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