What This Page Covers:
- Popularity: Ozempic, originally approved for Type-2 diabetes management, has gained off-label use for weight loss, leading to widespread recognition and a shortage affecting diabetic patients.
- Litigation: Goza & Honnold and other firms are pursuing legal action against Ozempic’s manufacturers for insufficient warnings about risks like gastrointestinal and gallbladder diseases.
- Adverse Effects: Increasing reports of serious side effects from Ozempic, such as gallbladder disorders and gastrointestinal issues, have raised concerns about its safety profile.
- Legal Support: Individuals harmed by Ozempic may seek compensation through lawsuits for failure to adequately warn about potential severe side effects, with Goza & Honnold offering legal guidance and representation.
Ozempic, a diabetes management medication, is crucial for regulating blood sugar and appetite. This medication aids those with Type-2 diabetes by boosting insulin production, slowing down glucose release into the bloodstream, and reducing hunger by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone’s effects. Despite its lack of FDA approval for weight loss, Ozempic has gained off-label popularity for this purpose, even among non-diabetic individuals, leading to increased public recognition and a significant shortage that has impacted diabetes patients.
In response to the surge in Ozempic prescriptions and its side effects, the Ozempic lawyers of Goza & Honnold, in alliance with other law firms, are actively pursuing litigation for those adversely affected by the medication. These lawsuits assert that the drug’s manufacturers did not provide sufficient warnings about the serious risks, including gastrointestinal complications and gallbladder disease. If you’ve experienced harmful side effects from Ozempic, our Ozempic attorneys are committed to advocating for your rights and holding the responsible parties accountable.
What Is Ozempic?
Ozempic, marketed by Novo Nordisk Inc., is a medication prescribed for managing Type-2 diabetes, with semaglutide as its active ingredient. It falls under the category of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, which act similarly to the naturally occurring hormone in our bodies, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1).
This hormone, GLP-1, is produced in the small intestine and released into the gastrointestinal system after food consumption. It plays multiple roles, including stimulating insulin release to help the body utilize glucose from meals; it prolongs the sensation of fullness post-eating by slowing gastric emptying; it helps in moderating blood sugar levels by decelerating the release of glucose; and it reduces hunger by suppressing related hormones.
When administered, Ozempic mimics the effects of GLP-1, aiding in blood sugar control and contributing to weight management by signaling to the brain a state of fullness.
It’s important to note that the FDA has not sanctioned Ozempic as a weight loss drug. Nevertheless, the drug has become widely used for this purpose off-label, attracting users without diabetes, including celebrities, which has catapulted its fame. Such widespread use led to a notable Ozempic shortage, impacting those who need it for diabetes management.
Ozempic’s visibility was further amplified by vigorous marketing campaigns, complete with catchy tunes, cementing its name in many households. The drug’s side effect – weight reduction – has driven its use predominantly for weight control rather than diabetes treatment, evidenced by a 111% surge in Ozempic prescriptions in 2023 over the previous year. Novo Nordisk has invested roughly $11 million in promoting Ozempic to doctors.
However, an uptick in reports of gastrointestinal side effects associated with Ozempic has been reported. Emerging research has also pointed to an increased risk of gallbladder-related conditions due to Ozempic, with reports detailing issues like stomach paralysis, also referred to as gastroparesis. In 2021 alone, the FDA cataloged over 100,000 adverse reactions from users of Ozempic and related semaglutide drugs.Those diagnosed with these adverse conditions after using Ozempic may be eligible for compensation through a product liability lawsuit.
The Timeline of Ozempic Lawsuits
The Ozempic lawyers of Goza & Honnold, in collaboration with other leading law firms nationwide, are committed to representing individuals who have suffered from the adverse effects of semaglutide/weight loss drugs. To date, approximately 100 legal actions have been initiated across the nation in both federal and state courts against companies producing medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. There is mounting evidence suggesting that these semaglutide/weight loss medications are inflicting significant harm on patients, often without their knowledge. As these drugs continue to rise in popularity, it’s anticipated that the number of affected patients may increase.
Attorney Bradley Honnold of Goza & Honnold has been at the forefront of this litigation, contributing extensively to the legal community’s understanding of the complex nature of these cases. Attorney Honnold has conducted several educational programs and seminars, imparting knowledge on critical aspects of semaglutide/weight loss drug litigation. These include understanding the medical implications, scrutinizing adverse event reports, evaluating cases thoroughly, addressing legal challenges such as preemption, and identifying potential new parties to the litigation.
On January 24, 2024, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) considered proposals from legal representatives of the affected patients and the pharmaceutical companies regarding the establishment of a new multidistrict litigation (MDL) to manage the burgeoning number of lawsuits.
Following these deliberations, on February 2, 2024, the JPML sanctioned the creation of this new MDL, titled “In re: Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 Ras) Products Liability Litigation” (MDL No. 3094), and entrusted it to Judge Gene E. K. Pratter. Judge Pratter is a seasoned MDL judge whom the JPML trusts to navigate this complex litigation diligently and efficiently. This centralized litigation, housed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, will streamline all semaglutide-related claims filed against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, providing a unified process for these cases.
How to Seek Compensation in an Ozempic Lawsuit for Failure to Warn
Like all prescription medications, semaglutide-based drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, come with their share of risks. It is essential that patients are made aware of these risks, which rely heavily on the information provided to them by the manufacturers of the drugs
The labels on semaglutide drugs do list common adverse reactions that may occur with their use, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. However, these labels have been missing critical information about serious injuries that could result in long-term and possibly irreversible harm. The omission of a comprehensive list of severe injuries and side effects means that drug manufacturers have not fully informed doctors and patients about the potential dangers.
For instance, when Ozempic was introduced to the market in December 2017, there was no warning on its label about conditions like gastroparesis, severe or persistent vomiting requiring overnight hospital stays, ileus/bowel obstruction, the possibility of needing gallbladder removal, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or pancreatic cancer.
It was not until March 2022 that Novo Nordisk included warnings about gallbladder disease and the potential necessity for gallbladder surgery on the labels Ozempic and Wegovy, which was unfortunately too late for many. Furthermore, in September 2023, “ileus” was finally added to the adverse reactions section of these drugs’ labels, yet this addition came after numerous patients had already suffered from excruciating bowel obstructions that demanded surgical resolution.
The pattern observed with Ozempic and Wegovy, as Goza & Honnold points out, is that the manufacturer has been updating their warnings reactively only after patients report conditions that should have been disclosed initially. Novo Nordisk, being at the forefront of injectable semaglutide for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, was likely aware from early on that gastroparesis could be a common issue due to the mechanism of the drug. Additionally, despite the association between semaglutide and DVT, there is still no explicit warning from Novo Nordisk about the risk of these potentially fatal blood clots.
Goza & Honnold contend that despite new additions to the Ozempic and Wygovy labels concerning gallbladder injuries and ileus, Novo Nordisk persists in marketing Ozempic and Wegovy with labels that are inadequate and lack crucial information, hindering patients from making fully informed decisions about their medication. As patients continue to suffer harmful side effects, the profits of semaglutide drug manufacturers are increasing – at the cost of patient safety and public health.
Speak With the Ozempic Attorney of Goza & Honnold Today
Ozempic has emerged as a crucial pharmaceutical for those managing Type-2 diabetes, helping to regulate blood sugar and appetite by enhancing insulin production and slowing glucose absorption. Despite its popularity, there’s been an alarming rise in reports of severe side effects, some of which were not adequately communicated to patients and doctors upon Ozempic and Wygovy’s release into the market, including gastrointestinal issues, gallbladder disease, and blood clots.
If you’ve experienced adverse effects from Ozempic, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. The Ozempic lawyers of Goza & Honnold are committed to holding the manufacturers accountable and advocating for the rights of those affected. We are well-versed in the complexities of Ozempic lawsuits and are prepared to help navigate the pursuit of compensation.
Call our office today for a free consultation at (913) 451-3433 or fill out a contact form.