The European Union’s drug regulator is probing a possible link between diabetes drugs, popular for weight loss, and suicidal thoughts.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is assessing 150 reports of possible cases of self-injury among people taking a class of medications called GLP-1 agonists, which play a role in regulating metabolism and hunger.
The EMA said the Icelandic Medicines Agency initiated the review due to reports of suicidal thoughts and self-injury in individuals using liraglutide and semaglutide drugs for weight loss.
Semaglutide belongs to the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists sold under the brand name Ozempic. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved semaglutide for weight loss among obese or overweight people with at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. For them, semaglutide is sold under the name Wegovy, which is a higher-dose version of Ozempic….