Semaglutide Lawsuit

Semaglutide is a type of diabetes medicine that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating type 2 diabetes. As a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, semaglutide increases insulin production. The main effect is a decrease in the amount of sugar that’s able to enter the bloodstream. 

The FDA currently has approved three forms of semaglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes:

• Ozempic
• Wegovy
• Rybelsus

Novo Nordisk produces all three forms. Ozempic and Wegovy are injections that patients take once a week. Rybelsus is a tablet that patients take daily. Doctors establish dosages and timeframes for each patient based on the patient’s condition and tolerance for the medication.

The popularity of semaglutide as a weight loss medication

Semaglutide has become a popular weight loss medication. Wegovy is FDA-approved to help people struggling with weight-related conditions lose weight. Doctors may prescribe Ozempic and Rybelsus for off-label use to help people lose weight.

For all semaglutide medications, the FDA recommends that patients supplement the medicine with exercise and diet changes to see the greatest results.

Semaglutide drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have been added to the FDA’s drug shortage list. The diabetes medication shortage may be linked to its popularity as a weight loss treatment. A compounded version of the medicine — made with semaglutide and other ingredients — may be available for some patients to combat the shortage. The compounded version of semaglutide may also be dangerous.

While all medicines may cause side effects, semaglutide drugs Ozempic and Wegovy may carry additional risks beyond what’s on the drugs’ warning labels. Some reports allege people have experienced the following health problems after taking semaglutide:

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)/Pulmonary Embolism (PE) (not on the warning label)
• Gastroenteritis (not on the warning label)
• Gastroparesis (Stomach Paralysis) (not on the warning label)
• Gallbladder disease (added to the warning label in March 2022)
• Ileus (Intestinal Obstruction (added to the warning label in September 2023)
• Intraoperative pulmonary aspiration (not on the warning label)
• Pancreatic Cancer (not on the warning label)

The potential dangers of compounded semaglutide

While the compounded versions of Semaglutide drugs are legal, they do not have FDA approval like the non-compounded versions do. The FDA has said that it “has received adverse event reports after patients used compounded semaglutide.”

One report in the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association found severe adverse effects for three people who took compounded semaglutide. The patients who took the compounded semaglutide experienced a number of side effects, including:

• Abdominal pain
• Anorexia
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weakness

For all three people, their symptoms persisted for days after taking the compounded semaglutide.

The FDA has expressed concerns that compounding pharmacies are fulfilling orders using semaglutide salts—variations on the semaglutide formulation approved by the FDA for Ozempic and Wegovy. In a letter to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the FDA warned that the agency has not evaluated semaglutide acetate or semaglutide sodium—two types of semaglutide salts—for safety or efficacy. It also noted that the use of semaglutide salts may be a violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

If you’ve received compounded semaglutide and are concerned you may be experiencing an adverse reaction, please seek immediate medical attention. Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without speaking to a medical professional first.

Semaglutide class action lawsuit

As of March 1, 2024, there is no class action lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, the sole manufacturer of semaglutide in the U.S. Instead, people who believe they’ve been harmed by unexpected side effects of semaglutide may consider filing an individual lawsuit against Novo Nordisk. The drug manufacturer is currently facing multidistrict litigation (MDL) filed in federal district court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that alleges Novo Nordisk failed to warn patients about the risks of taking Ozempic and other similar semaglutide drugs.

Compounded semaglutide lawsuit

Novo Nordisk has filed lawsuits against two Florida pharmacies for selling impure versions of compounded semaglutide. They claim that the products sold by the pharmacies had up to 33% less of the active ingredient than the normal product. These lawsuits follow similar lawsuits against other compounding pharmacies, spas, and weight-loss clinics that have sold products claiming to contain semaglutide.

As of March 1, 2024, no individual patient claiming harm by compounded semaglutide has filed a lawsuit.

Ozempic and Wegovy lawsuits

People are suing Novo Nordisk for alleged side effects they experienced after taking its semaglutide products, Ozempic and Wegovy. These side effects include those not included on either drug’s warning label.

Our law firm has filed a lawsuit for a Pennsylvania woman who was hospitalized for gastroparesis after taking Wegovy. Learn more about her case here.

If you or a family member have experienced a similar reaction, reach out to one of our attorneys to see what legal options you may have.

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
• Review if the medicine hurt you
• Review the medicine 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

Learn more about our medical drug litigation 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.