The active ingredients of Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda are associated with stomach paralysis, according to a study published Oct. 5 in JAMA.
Researchers in Canada analyzed more than 5,400 records of patients with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist prescriptions, such as Type 2 diabetes drugs Ozempic (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide), and weight loss medication Wegovy (semaglutide). Weight management drug Contrave (bupropion/naltrexone), which is not a GLP-1, was used as a comparison.
They found that the "use of GLP-1 agonists compared with bupropion-naltrexone was associated with increased risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction and gastroparesis, but not biliary disease."
Gastroparesis is when the stomach paralyzes as food digestion slows. The first reports of this side effect appeared in July, and by August, a lawsuit was filed against Novo Nordisk over stomach paralysis claims.