{"id":622108,"date":"2026-10-06T08:46:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T08:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/622108\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T08:46:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T08:46:20","slug":"weight-loss-drug-use-surges-as-lawsuits-and-side-effect-concerns-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/622108\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight-loss drug use surges as lawsuits and side-effect concerns grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS (FOX5<\/a>) \u2014 New Gallup data shows 11% of U.S. adults are taking weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, up from 3% in 2024.<\/p>\n

As use grows, so does the debate over the benefits and risks alleged in hundreds of pending lawsuits.<\/p>\n

Changing the business of treating obesity<\/p>\n

The demand for weight-loss medications has changed the business of treating obesity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe past five-plus years, this entire arena has just exploded,\u201d said Dr. Bernie Hanna, a Las Vegas bariatric surgeon.<\/p>\n

Hanna once specialized in bariatric surgery. He said surgical volume \u201chas taken a huge hit\u201d and \u201chas dropped by 50%.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are surgical practices that are closing. I know right here in Las Vegas,\u201d Dr. Hanna said.<\/p>\n

Hanna now sees patients who have tried or are interested in GLP-1 medications that treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt works through delaying gastric emptying. So, you\u2019re fuller, faster, fuller, longer,\u201d said Brianna Abney.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt affects insulin, insulin resistance, uh, glucose control,\u201d Hanna said.<\/p>\n

MORE ON FOX5: Water main break floods street near Decatur, Smoke Ranch<\/a><\/p>\n

Growing use and added discipline<\/p>\n

A recent Gallup survey found 28 million Americans are taking these medications.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to incorporate great diet, exercise program, because there\u2019s muscle wasting also. So, they have to do weight training. So, they have to be very disciplined,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The country\u2019s obesity rate dropped for the first time in more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Side effects and lawsuits<\/p>\n

There are potential side effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cNausea, the GI effects. You know, nausea, vomiting, uh, slow gastric emptying, constipation, diarrhea, people can get pancreatitis, which can be pretty bad,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Manufacturers of some of these popular drugs are also facing hundreds of lawsuits over alleged vision loss and serious stomach issues.<\/p>\n

In a recent study published in Clinical Nutrition<\/a>, some GLP-1 medications were linked to a rare, deadly neurological condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe numbers are very small when you talk about these severe side effects. You know, pancreatitis, the vision, and, and it\u2019s not something that you see commonly at all. You know, that\u2019s a very, very small number. We\u2019re just hearing about them,\u201d Dr. Hanna said.<\/p>\n

Hanna said patients should always see a doctor first.<\/p>\n

Novo Nordisk responds<\/p>\n

Novo Nordisk released a statement saying patient safety is of utmost importance to the company, and it takes all reports about adverse events from the use of its medicines very seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cSemaglutide (known by its brand names Ozempic\u00ae and Wegovy\u00ae) has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real-world-evidence studies and has cumulatively over 58 million patient-years of exposure. Semaglutide\u2019s efficacy and safety have been extensively demonstrated in people with obesity\/overweight as well as Type 2 diabetes with robust evidence for improving health outcomes,” a spokesperson said. <\/p>\n

The spokesperson said Wernicke Encephalopathy is not a listed adverse reaction or warning and precaution in the prescribing information for the company\u2019s semaglutide products, including Ozempic and Wegovy. <\/p>\n

\u201cPatients who initiate treatment with GLP-1 RA should receive guidance on appropriate healthy diet and physical activity, and those at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies, should be advised by their treating physicians on how to avoid them.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

As for what\u2019s next in the obesity drug market, Dr. Hanna said, \u201cWe\u2019re going to see more indications for these medications to treat other illnesses too.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new weight-loss drug, retatrutide, or Reta, is currently in development and has been shown to produce more weight loss than other drugs on the market. It mimics three hormones involved in appetite and metabolism, instead of just one or two. It could be approved by the FDA late next year.<\/p>\n

The medications work in part by mimicking gut hormones involved in appetite and blood-sugar regulation. They can slow stomach emptying and help people feel fuller for longer.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAS VEGAS (FOX5) \u2014 New Gallup data shows 11% of U.S. adults are taking weight loss drugs such…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622109,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[109665,525,7013,134,524,111,139,69,560],"class_list":["post-622108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-bariatric-surgery","tag-fda","tag-glp-1","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-weight-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}