Ozempic, the brand name of semaglutide manufactured by Novo Nordisk, is considered a game-changing medication. While it allows patients to lose considerable weight, many suffer serious side effects, which the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, failed to warn them about.
Due to Ozempic’s phenomenal success, Novo Nordisk’s market value rose to $500 billion by January 2024. To put that number in perspective, the company’s value is now $100 billion more than the entire gross national product of Denmark. Approximately two-thirds of Ozempic sales came from the U.S. Novo Nordisk also manufactures Wegovy, a similar weight loss drug.
If you were prescribed Ozempic and suffered serious side effects, contact a dangerous drug lawyer at Rutter Mills for a free consultation.
For over a century, the healthcare company Novo Nordisk, headquartered in Denmark, has worked to treat chronic diseases, initially focusing on diabetes. In 2017, the FDA approved Ozempic to treat it.
While Ozempic was originally approved as a medication for Type 2 Diabetes, patients were soon reporting significant weight loss. In 2021, the FDA approved Wegovy as a weight loss medication, but Ozempic has never received FDA approval for this purpose. Doctors are permitted to prescribe Ozempic “off-label” for weight loss.
The exact way in which Ozempic works for weight loss is not clear. The New York Times reports, “Researchers discovered by accident that exposing the brain to a natural hormone at levels never seen in nature elicited weight loss,” but they do not know why. It appears that the food cravings often found in people struggling with obesity dissipate. However, to maintain their lower weight, patients must take Ozempic indefinitely.
Ozempic’s popularity cannot be overestimated. As American obesity rates skyrocket, demand for the drug is overwhelming. Patients are warned about relatively minor side effects such as temporary nausea and diarrhea. If a pharmaceutical company does warn patients about possible side effects, it is generally protected from lawsuits. Because serious side effects have occurred that users were not warned about, Novo Nordisk should be held accountable.
The first Ozempic lawsuit was filed in August 2023. In February 2024, a federal panel combined at least 55 lawsuits into Multi-District Lawsuit (MDL) 3094 before Judge Gene E.K. Pratter in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
An MDL is similar to a class-action lawsuit but differs in that MDLs are filed only in federal court, while class-action lawsuits may be filed in state or federal court. In an MDL, plaintiffs maintain their status as “plaintiffs” throughout the litigation. In a class-action lawsuit, one or more plaintiffs file the lawsuit on behalf of other injured parties. It is estimated that as many as 10,000 people may file Ozempic lawsuits.
Ozempic has come under legal scrutiny due to the drug’s sometimes serious side effects and Novo Nordisk’s alleged negligence in warning patients. Reported side effects and health complications include:
The FDA is now looking into other Ozempic side effects, including multiple cases of hair loss and aspiration, as well as suicidal ideation. Claims and allegations made against the manufacturer include a failure to warn users of the drug’s severe side effects and the lack of appropriate labeling for Ozempic.
The types of damages or compensation plaintiffs might be entitled to in an Ozempic lawsuit include:
In general, the more seriously the plaintiff was affected by a defective drug, the greater their compensation. For instance, someone who requires gallbladder surgery or cholecystectomy due to Ozempic may not receive as much compensation as a person dealing with gastroparesis, which is incurable.
When a company has earned the phenomenal amounts of money that Novo Nordisk has made from Ozempic, many believe it should be held liable for the harm caused to patients who were uninformed of the drug’s risks.
To date, there have been no settlements or verdicts in Ozempic lawsuits. However, here are some examples of settlements or verdicts in similar pharmaceutical lawsuits:
Any successful lawsuit requires strong evidence. If you experience adverse side effects after using Ozempic, whether for diabetes treatment or weight loss purposes, take the following medical steps to support your claim:
Gather all medical records relevant to your claim. Include documentation for how long you were prescribed Ozempic, the type of side effects experienced, any hospitalization or emergency room visit records, or whether you had to consult gastroenterologists or other specialists.
Once you have collected all these pertinent records, seek legal representation from an attorney specializing in pharmaceutical lawsuits. Novo Nordisk is now worth a half-trillion dollars, primarily due to the success of Ozempic.
Ozempic, the brand name of semaglutide, is a diabetes medication often prescribed off-label for weight loss. While many patients report significant weight loss as long as they stay on the drug, serious side effects are common. These include gastroparesis, a condition affecting stomach muscle motility. Food moves slowly, if at all, from the stomach into the small intestine. In some cases, undigested food can harden and remain in the stomach.
Symptoms include the following:
Other conditions associated with Ozempic include gallbladder issues, intestinal blockage, and ileus.
While no Ozempic verdicts or settlements have yet occurred, compensation in an Ozempic lawsuit may include medical expenses, both current and future, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Start the process of filing an Ozempic lawsuit by consulting an experienced personal injury attorney with a history of handling claims against pharmaceutical companies.
If you suffered severe side effects due to taking Ozempic, we can help you build your case. That includes verifying your eligibility to file and expert testimony to support your claim. By filing a dangerous drug lawsuit, we can seek compensation for the health issues caused by the drug. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.
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