Ozempic

2024: Drug success turns Novo Nordisk into Europe's most expensive company

The success of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy turned Novo Nordisk in February 2024 into the largest European company by capitalization.

2023: Suicidal ideation from taking drugs

In July 2023, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) began to study the situation around Novo Nordisk drugs. According to available information, some means of this supplier provoke thoughts of suicide.

We are talking, in particular, about the Ozempic tool. This semaglutide is an agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (aGLP-1). The drug is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. Another substance that has come under regulatory scrutiny is called Saxenda. The active component of this preparation is liraglutide, an acylated analogue of human GPP-1 produced by recombinant DNA biotechnology using a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Some Novo Nordisk funds provoke suicidal thoughts

It is said that these drugs can cause serious side effects in patients. So, when taking these funds, cases were recorded when patients thought about suicide or self-harm. The problem has been raised by the Icelandic Medicines Agency. The review began after complaints of two cases of suicidal ideation and one case of self-harm received from Icelandic citizens taking Novo Nordisk for diabetes and/or obesity.

Novo Nordisk said patient safety is the company's top priority. The business is said to take all reports of adverse events seriously. The company's own safety monitoring did not reveal a causal link between self-harm thoughts and drugs, the statement said.

At least 60 reports of suicidal thoughts from patients taking semaglutide have been received since 2018, according to public information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FAERS) Adverse Event Reporting System. The measures that can be taken in relation to these drugs are not reported.^[1]

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