EU Regulators Said There’s No Link Between Weight Loss Drugs and Suicidal Thoughts

Drug regulators in the European Union found no evidence that a class of weight loss and diabetes drugs like Wegovy (manufactured by Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk) had any link to suicidal thoughts. The regulators made the statement on Friday, April 12, 2024, putting an end to a probe that has stretched on for nine months.

The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee of the European Union drug regulator monitors the side effects of drugs and reported that no updates were required to the information of the treatment’s product after reviewing the available evidence.

After the publication of the findings by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Nordisk’s shares jumped by 2%. The Danish drugmaker said they will continue to monitor any reports of adverse reactions from the use of their weight loss medication including suicidal thoughts.

Back in December last year, EMA extended its review into the diabetes and weight loss drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists to get further information from drugmakers to help them further investigate the issue.

The origin of the suspicion between weight loss drugs and suicidal thoughts

In July last year, health regulators in Iceland flagged three cases where patients started thinking of suicide or self-harm after using Nordisk’s drugs. That prompted regulators to launch an investigation to see whether there was a link.

The focus of the review was on medicines that contained GLP-1 compounds including liraglutide and semaglutide. Nordisk’s weight loss drug Saxenda has liraglutide as its active ingredient while that of Wegovy and another popular diabetes drug Ozempic is semaglutide.

During the investigation, EMA analyzed results from a large US study and failed to find a direct association between the use of semaglutide and suicidal thoughts. The regulators also conducted another study but still did not find a link between GLP-1 drugs and suicidal thoughts. 

The findings of the EMA are in line with a preliminary review conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which also did not find a link between GP-1 drugs and suicidal thoughts or the thoughts of self-harm. 

Reacting to the outcome of the investigation, professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Kushner said, “I hope it's reassuring to patients and prescribers that after a thorough review by two regulatory agencies ... there does not appear to be an increased risk of suicidal behavior”.

“I don't discount when people feel a change in their emotional or mental health when they take the medication, but that needs further ... assessment by the prescriber.”

British regulators are still investigating the drug

Although EU and American regulators appear to have reached a conclusion on the issue, the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is still reviewing the link between GLP-1 drugs and suicidal thoughts. Their investigation started last July.

The chief safety officer of the agency Dr. Alison Cave said the agency will continue with their review and would “communicate any further advice to patients and healthcare professionals as appropriate”.