A recent report has linked weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy to 162 deaths in the United States over the past six years. The FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) highlighted these fatalities, although none were definitively proven to be directly caused by the drugs. Deaths involving these medications have increased by 40% over the last six months.
Several high-profile incidents have raised concerns about these drugs, including lawsuits from patients who claim they were not warned about dangerous side effects. For example, Pennsylvania mom Juanita Gantt is suing the makers of Ozempic and Wegovy after suffering life-threatening side effects. The FAERS database has recorded 62,000 adverse reactions to weight loss medications, 10,000 of which were classified as serious.
Despite the risks, these drugs remain popular, with an estimated 15.5 million U.S. adults having tried them. Ozempic, initially developed to treat diabetes, has gained widespread off-label use for weight loss, though side effects like nausea, blocked intestines, and even vision loss have been reported.
