Jan 11, 2024 - Health

FDA finds no immediate link between weight-loss drugs and suicidal thoughts

Adriel Bettelheim

Illustrated collage of an Ozempic injection pens in front of a pensive woman with various rectangles surrounding them — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

A preliminary Food and Drug Administration review found no evidence linking a class of blockbuster obesity drugs to suicidal thoughts or actions, the agency said on Thursday.

Why it matters: It's the second such finding from U.S. health officials in a week, after a study of more than 240,000 patients' health records found people taking diabetes and weight-loss drugs including Wegovy and Ozempic had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts than people taking other drugs for those conditions.

Driving the news: The FDA said a review of reports logged in its adverse event reporting system didn't demonstrate a clear relationship between suicidal thoughts and use of the drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists.

Regulators are continuing to look into the issue, because they can't definitively rule out that a small risk may exist.
The FDA cautioned that patients should not stop taking GLP-1 drugs without first consulting health care professionals, since stopping the drugs may worsen their condition.

Go deeper: Demand for the drugs has surged, even though health experts caution there's insufficient data about their long-term effects and how they work in certain populations.

The drugs, originally approved for diabetes, have become popular among people who just want to lose weight.
Novo Nordisk manufactures Wegovy and Ozempic, while Eli Lilly makes two other popular treatments, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
GLP-1 labels already list the risk of suicidal thoughts.

The FDA said it will next review postmarketing data in its Sentinel system, including health insurance claims and patient health records.

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FDA finds no immediate link between weight-loss drugs and suicidal thoughts

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