EU Widens Probe of Suicide Risks Linked to Weight-Loss Drugs

  • New blockbuster drug class under review after 150 reports
  • Separate analysis finds many stop taking drugs within a year
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

The European Union’s drug regulator expanded its investigation into a possible risk of suicidal thoughts associated with a new class of weight-loss medicines and a separate analysis found that most patients stopped taking the medications after a year.

The European Medicines Agency said Tuesday it’s probing a possible risk of suicidal thoughts associated with anti-obesity drugs after receiving 150 reports. Initially the focus was on side effects linked to Novo Nordisk A/S’s Wegovy, Ozempic and Saxenda, according to a statement Tuesday. It isn’t clear whether the incidents were related to the drugs or other underlying conditions.