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A health body is issuing an alert for anyone taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, or Mounjaro. The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued the appeal on social media. It made the call for anyone suffering from a 'severe reaction' to GLP-1 medicine. According to the Government website , glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) are medicines that help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating. The MHRA said that anyone taking these medications who was suffering side effects - especially acute pancreatitis - can report it in an attempt to help researches better understand them and, ultimately, lead to 'safer prescribing in future'. The full message read: "Has someone you care for had a severe reaction to a GLP-1 medicine? Help identify people at risk. "Has someone you care for had acute pancreatitis while taking a GLP-1 medicine (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro)? You can report it to Yellow Card on their behalf and agree to be contacted. They may be invited to join the Yellow Card Biobank (MHRA & Genomics England) to help researchers study how genetics may influence side effects - leading to safer prescribing in the future." The Yellow Card Biobank is a collaboration between the MHRA and Genomics England which aims to improve the understanding of how a patient’s genetic makeup may increase their risk of experiencing side effects of medications. Doctors and pharmacists will use the results of this research to help prevent patients from experiencing harmful side effects by ensuring patients are prescribed the safest medication for them, based on their genetic makeup. In the UK, there are several licensed GLP-1 medicines, including semaglutide which is sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus, tirzepatide (Mounjaro), and liraglutide (sold under various brand names). “Licensed” means they have been assessed carefully by the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, and approved as safe and effective for certain uses. The MHRA has not assessed the safety and effectiveness of these medicines when used outside of their licensed use. GLP-1s are medicines licensed to treat specific medical disorders and should only be used if you are overweight or diabetic, and not if you want to lose weight for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes.
