The manufacturer of Ozempic is suing over the weight loss drug that caused the woman’s colon to be removed

A woman is suing the maker of Ozempic, claiming she had to have her colon removed due to complications from taking the weight-loss drug.

Juanita Gantt, 62, was prescribed both Wegovy and Ozempic, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, after her doctor agreed she was a good candidate because of her family history of diabetes and her weight of 242 pounds.

“I felt good,” she said CBS Morning Thursday. “I enjoyed the days when I didn’t have to worry about my appetite. I didn’t have cravings – I felt like I was doing something positive for myself.

But a few months later, in October 2023, she would experience horrific medical complications that she said were side effects of the medication.

Now, Gantt says the drug packaging fails to properly warn of potential side effects, and she did not seek a specific amount in her lawsuit.

The mother said that after her husband found her lying unconscious on the ground, she was taken to the hospital where doctors found that parts of her colon were dead and needed to be removed.

She suffered a heart attack while recovering from surgery, Gantt said.

She now lives with an ileostomy bag, which collects her waste as it comes out of a hole in her abdomen, made by surgeons taking part of her bowel under her skin and creating a stoma.

“I had no warning that this could happen,” she said.

Independent Novo Nordisk and Gantt have been contacted for comment.

The Danish pharmaceutical company makes both Ozempic and Wegovy—two of the three FDA-approved semaglutide weight-loss products available in the United States.

Semaglutide, a hormone that is naturally secreted by a person’s stomach when they eat, is listed as an active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy vaccines.

It works by prompting the body to produce more insulin (thereby lowering blood sugar levels) and, in higher doses, “can interact with parts of the brain that reduce appetite and create feelings of fullness”. Administration.

The use of diabetes drugs for weight loss is on the rise and celebrities are talking about using drugs for weight loss.

In an interview with people In 2023, Oprah Winfrey revealed that she was taking a weight-loss drug “as a tool to manage non-yo-yoing,” but didn’t specify which one.

Last year, Sharon Osbourne admitted to using Ozempic, but told outlets including The Guardian In February, she lost 42 pounds — “more.”

Ozempic made headlines last year when some patients claimed to have developed gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach) – where the digestive process can slow to a potentially harmful level.

2022 journal article Drug design, development and therapyIt says gastrointestinal side effects from semaglutide are “common,” citing constipation, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting — in addition to isolated side effects that can be a symptom of “delayed gastric emptying,” according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

There are also concerns about gangs using fake batch numbers to spread dangerous counterfeit forms of the popular drug around the world.