The following information is from Children's Health Defense.

A new report links the death of a Scottish nurse to Mounjaro, a weight-loss drug from Eli Lilly that belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class. This drug category, including Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, works by making users feel full, thus reducing food intake. Originally developed for diabetes, these drugs are now widely used for weight loss and have gained popularity, partly due to social media endorsements.

These GLP-1 drugs are available as weekly, self-administered injections under different names depending on the country and purpose. In the US, tirzepatide is approved as Zepbound for weight loss and Mounjaro for diabetes, while semaglutide is marketed as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss.

The popularity of these drugs comes with concerns about serious side effects. Known risks include pancreatitis, stomach paralysis, kidney disease, and thyroid cancer. Some doctors have suggested they should carry a black box warning for pregnant women due to potential harm. The FDA approved Wegovy for weight loss in 2021, and in 2023 approved Zepbound for the same purpose.

Eli Lilly recently launched "LillyDirect," a consumer access platform for Mounjaro and other drugs, connecting patients with health providers online. In the US, FDA data links GLP-1 drugs to 162 deaths and over 62,000 adverse reactions since 2018. In the UK, tirzepatide has also raised safety concerns, with hundreds of reported side effects and several deaths.

Concerns extend to younger patients. The FDA approved Wegovy for children 12 and older in 2022, and new pediatric guidelines encourage obesity drugs for children as young as 8. However, experts worry about long-term impacts, including effects on bone health, thyroid cancer risk, and growth interference in children. Critics caution that using these drugs in children without long-term safety studies could lead to unknown health consequences later in life.

For more details, read the full article here.

The post FDA-approved weight-loss drug linked to nurse's death appeared first on Sharyl Attkisson.