The European Medicines Agency said on Tuesday it was examining possible side effects of three anti-diabetic drugs increasingly prescribed for weight loss, after reports that the pills could lead to suicidal thoughts and self-harm in patients, AFP reported.

Ozempik medication is intended for diabeticsPhoto: Dr P. Marazzi / Sciencephoto / Profimedia Images

GLP-1 is primarily used to treat diabetes, but it is increasingly being prescribed in the form of various weight-loss drugs.

Amsterdam-based AEM is “reviewing data on the risk of suicidal ideation and self-harm with these medicines (…), including Ozempic (semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide)”.

“The review was initiated by the Icelandic Medicines Agency after suicidal thoughts and self-harm were reported in people taking the medicine (which contains the active ingredients) liraglutide and semaglutide,” the EMA said, citing active substances similar to GLP-1.

“As of today, the authorities (…) are analyzing 150 reports about possible cases,” AEM said.

But, the agency emphasized, it is not yet possible to determine whether the reported cases were related to the drugs themselves or to underlying problems in patients.

According to the agency, these cases “do not necessarily mean that the drug caused the corresponding adverse reactions.”

Saxenda and Wegovy are approved in the European Union for the treatment of obesity, while Ozempic is used to treat type 2 diabetes as well as weight loss, although this is not a recognized indication, according to the EMEA.

Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, which makes both Wegovy and Ozempic, reported in May a 39 percent rise in first-quarter profit from sales of the obesity drug.

Ozempic, an injectable diabetes drug, contains the compound semaglutide, which mimics the action of human GLP-1, a hormone that reduces appetite by slowing stomach emptying, creating a feeling of fullness.

Experts have expressed concern that Ozempic has become a social media star, being touted as a “miracle” weight loss product.

Semaglutide is also the active ingredient in Wegovy, which as of June 2021 has been approved for the treatment of obesity in several countries, including the United States.