Colon Removal Prompts Lawsuit Against Ozempic Maker

A woman is suing Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, alleging the drugs' side effects led to colon removal.

Juanita Gantt was prescribed Wegovy and Ozempic, drugs containing the active ingredient semaglutide, as she struggled with weight loss. Several months later, in October 2023, Gantt's husband found her on the floor unconscious, CBS News reports.

Parts of her large intestine were found dead and had to be removed. While recovering from surgery, Gantt went into cardiac arrest, prompting the hospital to call her daughter to warn her that her mother could die.

With her colon removed, Gantt now lives with an ileostomy pouch attached to her abdomen at all times to collect waste. She says she wasn't warned of the possibility of such complications when prescribed Ozempic and Wegovy.

Gantt is now suing Novo Nordisk, the drug marker, claiming its drug labels do not adequately warn patients and doctors about potentially serious side effects, such as stomach paralysis and bowel obstruction.

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co., the manufacturer of Mounjaro (tirzepatide), are facing another lawsuit alleging that the companies failed to warn patients about stomach paralysis as a side effect.

In a statement to CBS News, Novo Nordisk called the allegations in this and other lawsuits without merit and said the company intends to "vigorously defend against these claims."

Novo Nordisk said the known risks of drugs are described in their FDA-approved product labeling, while semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs and large real-world evidence studies.

One in eight Americans reports even using a GLP-1 agonist like semaglutide and tirzepatide, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Initially developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the drugs are increasingly used for weight loss.

A study published last October associated GLP-1 agonists with an increased risk of stomach paralysis, pancreatitis, and bowel obstruction.

According to the Ozempic label, the drug may raise the risk of the following conditions:

• Thyroid cancer, as observed in mice but not in human studies
• Pancreatitis
• Diabetic retinopathy complications
• Hypoglycemia with concomitant use of insulin secretagogues or insulin
• Acute kidney injury
• Serious hypersensitivity reactions

GLP-1s can also have side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation.

It is yet to be concluded whether GLP-1s caused stomach paralysis and other adverse events in patients involved in the lawsuits. Meanwhile, if you are on semaglutide or similar drugs, discuss all side effects with your healthcare provider.