From Breakthrough to Backlash: Novo Nordisk's Ozempic Faces USD 2 Billion Lawsuit
New Delhi: Novo Nordisk, the maker of the blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic, is at the center of a brewing legal storm. Once celebrated as a breakthrough for controlling blood sugar and aiding weight loss, the medicine is now facing mounting lawsuits in the United States. More than 1,800 patients have sued the company, alleging that Ozempic caused debilitating side effects such as stomach paralysis, persistent vomiting, and sudden loss of vision. With potential damages projected to exceed USD 2 billion, the litigation is shaping up to be one of the most significant pharmaceutical disputes in recent years, and legal experts caution it could become one of the most expensive drug-safety lawsuits ever recorded.
According to various media reports, the lawsuits claim that Ozempic can trigger a range of severe health issues, including gastroparesis—a condition where the stomach cannot empty properly—as well as intestinal blockages, gallbladder disorders, pancreatitis, kidney damage, and abrupt blindness linked to non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Plaintiffs argue that Novo Nordisk did not sufficiently warn users of these risks, especially at a time when the drug’s off-label use for weight loss grew rapidly.
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MedPath reports that the legal fight began in August 2023, when the first patient alleged developing both stomach paralysis and vision impairment after using Ozempic. As similar complaints surfaced, the U.S. courts in February 2024 consolidated the cases into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, streamlining pretrial proceedings for the large pool of claimants. Legal analysts suggest that settlements or judgments could ultimately exceed the $2 billion mark, underscoring the vast scale of the potential liability.
As per the Business Standard report, the medical evidence cited in the litigation has added to the controversy. A 2023 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that users of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic were at significantly higher risk of developing gastroparesis. Ophthalmologists have also reported abrupt and unexplained cases of vision loss correlating with recent Ozempic use. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s adverse event database has recorded thousands of reports tied to gastrointestinal complications and sight-related problems.
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Novo Nordisk, for its part, continues to defend the drug, asserting that Ozempic is safe when used as prescribed. The company emphasizes that warnings about gastrointestinal side effects are already included in its labeling. However, plaintiffs maintain that these disclosures fall short of fully reflecting the risks, particularly in the context of widespread prescriptions for weight loss, reports Financial Express.
