Diabetes Lawsuits

Patients deserve to know about the risks they’re taking on with any new medications. Additionally, drug manufacturers should make healthcare professionals fully aware of the side effects associated with their drugs. However, these manufacturers don’t include many alleged side effects on GLP-1 medication labels.

Brand name GLP-1 drugs include:

• Mounjaro® (tirzepatide)
• Ozempic® (semaglutide)
• Rybelsus® (semaglutide)
• Saxenda® (liraglutide)
• Trulicity® (dulaglutide)
• Victoza® (liraglutide)
• Wegovy® (semaglutide)
• Zepbound® (tirzepatide)

Diabetes lawyers with Motley Rice can help patients determine if they’re eligible for diabetes drug litigation.

Mounjaro is made by Eli Lilly, and its active ingredient is tirzepatide. The FDA approved Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes treatment in 2022. 

Plaintiffs report severe health complications not included on Mounjaro’s label. Mounjaro has been associated with conditions Eli Lilly didn’t inform patients about, including NAION vision loss, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), gastroparesis, ileus and bowel injury.

Learn more about Mounjaro lawsuits here

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ozempic (semaglutide) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in December 2017. The FDA didn’t approve the drug for weight loss specifically. But its off-label use for weight reduction has made its popularity explode in recent years.

People are bringing legal claims against Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, alleging the company failed to adequately warn them of certain side effects. Patients who’ve taken Ozempic have reported health problems including:

• Bowel obstruction
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Gastroparesis
• Sudden vision loss (specifically NAION)

Learn more about Ozempic lawsuits

Rybelsus was another Novo Nordisk semaglutide drug. It was approved by the FDA in 2019 to treat type 2 diabetes. Rybelsus was the first oral GLP-1 medication. It is no longer manufactured as Rybelsus as it was rebranded as the pill form of Ozempic in mid-2026.

Rybelsus is named in GLP-1 diabetes drug and weight loss medication lawsuits. Plaintiffs allege that Novo Nordisk knew about severe Rybelsus side effects and did not warn consumers about these issues. Plaintiffs argue the drug maker didn’t warn about serious conditions, including sudden vision loss (specifically NAION) and gastroparesis.

Learn more about Rybelsus lawsuits

Saxenda is a GLP-1 weight management and obesity drug with the active ingredient liraglutide. It is also made by Novo Nordisk. The FDA approved Saxenda for treating obesity in adults in December 2014. In December 2020, the FDA approved it for use in children ages 12 to 17.

Potential side effects of Saxenda include these:

• Acute pancreatitis
• Acute gallbladder disease
• Development of thyroid T-cell tumors (thyroid cancer)
• NAION vision loss 

Like other GLP-1s, Saxenda may also cause delayed stomach emptying, resulting in gastroparesis, and sudden vision loss. The drug’s label doesn’t warn about these potential side effects.

Plaintiffs have experienced severe gastrointestinal injuries after using Saxenda. They allege Novo Nordisk didn’t inform them about this risk.

Learn more about Saxenda lawsuits

Eli Lilly also manufactures Trulicity. The active GLP-1 in this medication is dulaglutide. The FDA approved it in 2014 to control blood sugar in patients with diabetes. In 2020, it was approved to help decrease the risk of stroke and heart attack in adults without established cardiovascular disease.

Plaintiffs say they have suffered severe Trulicity side effects, such as:

• Blood clots
• DVT
• Gallbladder disease
• Gastroenteritis
• Ileus
• Intestinal obstruction
• Intraoperative pulmonary aspiration
• Sudden vision loss (specifically NAION)

Eli Lilly didn’t include warnings about these conditions on Trulicity’s label.

Read more about Trulicity lawsuits here

Victoza is also made and marketed by Novo Nordisk. Like Saxenda, its active ingredient is liraglutide. It was FDA-approved for diabetes treatment in adults in 2010 and approved for children age 10 and over in 2019. It was also approved in 2017 to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetes patients.

Studies suggest that liraglutide and other GLP-1 drugs increase the risk of gastroparesis and intestinal blockage. Victoza’s manufacturer didn’t include warnings about gastrointestinal injuries or sudden vision loss, and the drug is part of the GLP-1 MDLs.

Learn more about Victoza lawsuits

Wegovy is another GLP-1 medication developed by Novo Nordisk to help with chronic weight management. It is specifically approved to treat obesity and promote weight loss. Like Ozempic, the active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide.

The FDA approved Wegovy for adults in June 2021. In December 2022, it was also approved as an obesity treatment for children 12 and older. In addition, the FDA approved the medication in March 2024 to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events (like heart attack and stroke) in overweight and obese patients and people with cardiovascular disease.

However, patients have reported unexpected and severe Wegovy side effects, such as sudden vision loss (specifically NAION). Some patients have chosen to bring claims against Novo Nordisk. 

Learn more about Wegovy lawsuits here

Zepbound also uses the active ingredient tirzepatide. It is Eli Lilly’s FDA-approved drug for weight loss. Zepbound wasn’t approved by the FDA until November 2023. In August 2024, Eli Lilly announced it would make the medication available to patients without insurance. Consumers with an on-label prescription can now buy single-dose vials of Zepbound at around half the price of other GLP-1 obesity drugs.

Zepbound is included in the weight loss medication and diabetes drug MDL. Plaintiffs complain of the same dangerous side effects, such as sudden vision loss, associated with Zepbound’s sister medication, Mounjaro.

Learn more about Zepbound lawsuits

Glucose monitoring systems help those with diabetes monitor their blood glucose levels on demand. The Dexcom G6 glucose monitoring system is an implantable sensor that sends blood glucose data to an app on the patient’s phone.

Thousands of patients have alerted the FDA to faulty readings and alert failures with the Dexcom G6 system. Inexact glucose monitoring can have serious repercussions for patients with diabetes. Patients negatively affected by the G6 system are filing lawsuits against Dexcom.

Learn more about Dexcom G6 lawsuits here

Patients use insulin pump devices to help manage their insulin levels. The pumps are supposed to deliver programmed amounts of insulin into a patient’s body.

However, defects with several models of MiniMed™ insulin pumps have led to incorrect amounts of insulin delivery. Improper insulin dosages can cause serious side effects for diabetic patients. Patients affected by the defective pumps are filing lawsuits against the manufacturer, Medtronic.

Learn more about MiniMed insulin pump lawsuits

Our medical attorneys have represented thousands of patients seriously hurt by dangerous prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and medical devices. We understand that as a patient or family member, you may have limited knowledge of the medications you or your loved one is taking.

If you believe a GLP-1 medication, faulty glucose monitoring system or defective insulin pump made you sick or hurt you, our diabetes attorneys have the resources needed to thoroughly investigate and:

• Identify potentially harmful medicines and devices
• Review whether the medicine or device is linked to your injury
• Review the manufacturer’s compliance with FDA regulations
• Examine the adequacy of the manufacturer’s warning to you about potential side effects
• Recognize other issues that could affect your potential claim

Do not stop taking a prescribed medication or using a medical device without first consulting your doctor. Discontinuing a prescribed medication without your doctor’s advice can result in injury or death. Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Saxenda, Trulicity, Victoza, Mounjaro and Zepbound remain approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.