No link between diabetes, weight-loss drugs and suicide

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LONDON, April 13, (AP): Drug regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weightloss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) regulatory committee announced the results of its review on Friday. It’s the latest group to conclude there’s no known tie between a new class of obesity drugs and suicide. In January, the US Food and Drug Administration said a preliminary review showed no evidence of such a link, though the agency said it could not rule out that “a small risk may exist” and that it would continue to study the issue. A federally funded US study also found that people taking semaglutide, the medication in Ozempic and Wegovy, had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts than those taking older medications to treat diabetes and obesity.

The review by the European Union’s regulators was triggered last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of self-harm. The regulators examined studies, post-marketing data and other research related to medications used in nearly a dozen drugs used to treat the diseases. The group did not review information regarding tirzepatide, the medication used in drugs sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. Both agencies said they would continue to closely monitor reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in people taking the drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Patients taking the drugs should report any mental health or other problems to their health care providers, officials said.

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