Proposed class action lawsuit alleges Ozempic maker failed to disclose serious side effects
CTV
A proposed class action lawsuit alleges the makers of Ozempic failed to adequately describe potential side effects such as intense vomiting and painful gallstones.
Intense vomiting. Painful gallstones. Masses of food slowly forming a painful obstruction in the stomach.
These are some of the side effects described by the members of a proposed class action lawsuit, which alleges that the makers of Ozempic—a drug created to manage Type 2 diabetes, but which has gained massive popularity as a weight loss tool—failed to adequately describe the potential side effects.
One B.C. woman says that the waves of gastrointestinal illness she suffered while on the drug could be “debilitating” at times.
“If the drug company isn't letting the doctors or the patients know that there's a risk to severe side effects like this, how on earth can we make an informed decision about a medication that we're going to put in our body?” Tracy Nygaard told CTVNews.ca.
The lawsuit was filed in October with the Supreme Court of British Columbia. It has not yet been authorized by a judge, and its claims haven’t been tested in court.
In a statement, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and other similar drugs named in the proposed class action, told CTVNews.ca: "Our team is continuously monitoring the safety profile of our products and collaborating closely with health authorities to ensure patient safety information, including adequate information on side effects, is included in the product labelling."
Novo Nordisk added GLP-1 has been used to treat type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years, and for treatment of obesity for eight years.
