Gastroparesis Lawsuit

What is gastroparesis (aka stomach paralysis)?

Gastroparesis is a condition affecting the muscles of the stomach. A correctly functioning stomach has strong muscles that move food through the digestive tract. This movement is called “motility.” Gastroparesis affects these muscles and reduces, or altogether stops, motility.

Some patients may also hear the terms “stomach paralysis” and “delayed gastric emptying,” which all refer to the same condition.

Food remains in the stomach for long periods of time because of gastroparesis. This can lead to:

• Abdominal pain and bloating
• Nausea
• Problems with blood sugar levels
• Problems with nutrition, including malnutrition
• Stomach pain, sometimes severe
• Vomiting, including severe vomiting

Gastroparesis has no cure, but doctors may be able to recommend diet changes and medication to help manage the condition.

Gastroparesis has allegedly been linked to certain drugs used to treat diabetes or as weight-loss aides, including Ozempic and Wegovy. The prescribing labels for these drugs do not warn patients of these dangers. Thousands of patients have reported health problems to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after taking these drugs. People who have experienced stomach paralysis after taking these medications are now filing gastroparesis lawsuits.

What drugs are named in gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) lawsuits?

Several medications from drug manufacturers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have allegedly been linked to gastroparesis and other severe gastrointestinal issues.

• Novo Nordisk drugs allegedly linked to gastroparesis: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus®
• Eli Lilly drugs allegedly linked to gastroparesis: Mounjaro

GLP-1 agonist drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro were initially developed to help diabetic patients lower their blood sugar levels, while Wegovy is prescribed for weight loss. GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. This type of drug works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone that helps promote insulin release and makes people feel fuller longer.

These and other GLP-1 drugs have grown in popularity as a weight-loss aid over the last several years. This has exposed more people to the potentially dangerous side effects.

Novo Nordisk gastroparesis lawsuits

Novo Nordisk is a large global healthcare company. It is responsible for several diabetes, hemophilia and obesity drugs, in addition to various devices. Novo Nordisk’s public involvement with GLP-1 drugs began when the FDA approved the drug Victoza® in 2010 for managing diabetic blood sugar levels. After Victoza’s approval, Novo Nordisk began to study GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Novo Nordisk received approval for Saxenda, its first GLP-1 weight-loss drug, in 2014. Victoza and Saxenda are both liraglutide drugs. But, Saxenda’s approved dosage to control obesity is twice that of Victoza’s approved dosage for diabetes. However, Saxenda only led to a modest reduction in weight and had to be injected every day.

Novo Nordisk continued to research and develop its semaglutide; creating a drug that only needed to be injected once a week and yielded three times as much weight-loss as Saxenda. In 2017, it was approved as an injectable diabetes drug called Ozempic. A tablet version of the drug, called Rybelsus, was also approved. In 2021, Novo Nordisk received approval for a higher dosage of semaglutide, used as an obesity drug, called Wegovy.

Since then, Novo Nordisk has been named in several lawsuits related to serious side effects from Ozempic and Wegovy.

Ozempic gastroparesis lawsuit

Ozempic is perhaps the most well-known of the Novo Nordisk drugs used for weight loss. In the first half of 2023 alone, the drug generated $3.7 billion in sales.

However, Ozempic can have severe side effects. As of March 2024, more than 17,000 adverse reactions involving people who took Ozempic have been reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). This includes 222 deaths.

One of the alleged side effects of Ozempic is gastroparesis. Ozempic’s prescribing label does not mention gastroparesis and only mentions a “minor delay in gastric emptying.” It does not warn patients of the risks of these conditions. However, thousands of people have reported gastrointestinal events and other side effects.

For these reasons, people are filing Ozempic stomach paralysis lawsuits against Novo Nordisk.

Contact an Ozempic attorney today

Motley Rice attorneys can review your claims to determine if you have a case against Novo Nordisk. Complete this webform or call 1.800.768.4026 to contact attorneys Sara Couch and Jonathan Orent for more information or to discuss a potential Ozempic claim today.

Wegovy gastroparesis lawsuit

Wegovy is another well-known Novo Nordisk drug that has been explicitly approved for weight loss. In the first half of 2023 alone, the drug generated $1.7 billion in sales.

Like Ozempic, Wegovy can have severe side effects. As of March 2024, more than 3,000 adverse reactions involving people who took Wegovy have been reported to FAERS, including 23 deaths. It’s alleged that Wegovy can also lead to gastroparesis. Its prescribing label also does not contain a warning about the dangers of risks like gastroparesis.

For these reasons, people who have developed gastroparesis after taking Wegovy are filing lawsuits against Novo Nordisk. One such lawsuit was filed by a Pennsylvania woman who was hospitalized after taking Wegovy.

Rybelsus and gastroparesis

Rybelsus was developed around the same time as Ozempic and is also approved to help manage Type 2 diabetes. However, it is an oral tablet. It has also been linked to some severe side effects. As of March 2024, more than 2,000 adverse reactions involving people who took Rybelsus have been reported to FAERS, including 63 deaths. 

Rybelsus may also lead to stomach paralysis/gastroparesis. People who have taken this drug and developed a related condition may be able to speak with a lawyer about their options.

Eli Lilly gastroparesis lawsuits

Eli Lilly is an American pharmaceutical company. It has a wide range of medication offerings and brings in billions of dollars a year. 

In 2022, it received FDA approval for the drug Mounjaro. Mounjaro is a tirzepatide injectable medication that was approved to help manage Type 2 diabetes. Since then, it has also become an off-label solution for weight-loss and obesity.

Mounjaro gastroparesis lawsuit

Mounjaro is a relatively new drug, but it has still allegedly been linked to severe side effects like gastroparesis. The drug’s prescribing label does not warn of the potential to develop gastroparesis. Instead, it simply says patients who already have gastroparesis should not take Mounjaro.

Since its approval in 2022, more than 25,000 adverse reactions involving people who took Mounjaro have been reported to FAERS, including 74 deaths. People who have taken this drug and developed a related condition may be able to file a Mounjaro gastroparesis lawsuit.

Our medical drug litigation experience

Our medical attorneys have represented thousands of patients seriously hurt by dangerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs. We understand that as a patient or family member, what you know about your or a loved one’s medications may be limited.

If you believe a medicine made you sick or hurt you, our attorneys have the resources needed to thoroughly investigate and:

• Identify potentially harmful medicines
• Investigate if the medicine hurt you
• Review the medicine manufacturer’s compliance with FDA regulations
• Review if the manufacturer adequately warned you about potential side effects
• Recognize other issues that could affect your potential claim

Learn more about our medical drug experience here.

Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without first consulting with your doctor. Discontinuing a prescribed medication without your doctor's advice can result in injury or death. Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Rybelsus remain approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Sources 

1. Cleveland Clinic. GLP-1 Agonists.
2. CNBC. Big pharma’s blockbuster obesity drug battle is just getting started, and it’s headed for $100 billion.
3. Lilly. Current Medicines.
4. Mayo Clinic. Gastroparesis.
5. New York Times. We Know Where New Weight Loss Drugs Came From, but Not Why They Work.
6. Novo Nordisk. Our Medications.
7. U.S Food and Drug Administration. FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Public Dashboard.
8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION: MOUNJAROTM (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous use.
9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION: OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use.
10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION: RYBELSUS (semaglutide) tablets, for oral use.
11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. SAXENDA (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection), solution for subcutaneous use.
12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION: WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use.