The US Food and Drug Administration has updated the label of the diabetes drug Ozempic to acknowledge reports of blocked intestines in some people using the medication.
Ozempic and its sister drug, Wegovy, which is approved for weight loss, have recently soared in popularity. They use a medication called semaglutide, part of a family of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which work by mimicking a hormone that the body naturally makes to slow the passage of food through the stomach, which helps people feel fuller longer.
Drugmaker Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and a similar drug, Wegovy, said in a statement to CNN that patient safety is a top priority and the company is working closely with the FDA “to continuously monitor the safety profile” of its medications.
“Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic® and all of our medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and the approved indications,” the company said.
The labels of Wegovy and a diabetes drug called Mounjaro acknowledge reports of a condition called ileus, or intestinal blockage, in some people who use them. Ozempic’s label has been updated to say the same.
“Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure,” the label notes.
The US Food and Drug Administration has updated the label of the diabetes drug Ozempic to acknowledge reports of blocked intestines in some people using the medication.
Ozempic and its sister drug, Wegovy, which is approved for weight loss, have recently soared in popularity. They use a medication called semaglutide, part of a family of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which work by mimicking a hormone that the body naturally makes to slow the passage of food through the stomach, which helps people feel fuller longer.
Drugmaker Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and a similar drug, Wegovy, said in a statement to CNN that patient safety is a top priority and the company is working closely with the FDA “to continuously monitor the safety profile” of its medications.
“Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic® and all of our medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and the approved indications,” the company said.
The labels of Wegovy and a diabetes drug called Mounjaro acknowledge reports of a condition called ileus, or intestinal blockage, in some people who use them. Ozempic’s label has been updated to say the same.
“Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure,” the label notes.
SOURCE: CNN