Lawsuit claims Ozempic, Mounjaro labels ‘downplayed severity’ of gastroparesis
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A personal injury law firm has filed a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, alleging the manufacturers “downplayed the severity of the gastrointestinal events caused by Ozempic and Mounjaro,” such as gastroparesis and gastroenteritis.
The plaintiff, Jaclyn Bjorklund, had reportedly been prescribed Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, for management of type 2 diabetes for more than a year before she was switched to Mounjaro (tirzepatide, Eli Lilly) in July 2023.
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Bjorklund claims that her use of both Ozempic and Mounjaro resulted in severe gastrointestinal events, including “severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning, being hospitalized for stomach issues on several occasions including visits to the emergency room, [and] teeth falling out due to excessive vomiting, requiring additional medications to alleviate her excessive vomiting and throwing up whole food hours after eating.”
Although abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are listed as possible adverse events in the prescribing information for both Ozempic and Mounjaro, the lawsuit asserts that the manufacturers “have downplayed the severity of the gastrointestinal events caused by Ozempic and Mounjaro, never, for example, warning of the risk of gastroparesis or gastroenteritis.”
While the drug label for Ozempic does not mention gastroparesis, the Mounjaro label explicitly states that the drug has not been studied in patients with “severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and is therefore not recommended in these patients.” Additionally, the lawsuit does not disclose whether the plaintiff has been officially diagnosed with either gastroparesis or gastroenteritis.
The lawsuit alleges that the manufacturers have demonstrated “a complete disregard and reckless indifference for the safety and welfare of the general public” by either failing to warn or inadequately warning patients of all possible side effects linked to the use of Ozempic and Mounjaro, as well as failure to disclose that these drugs “had not been sufficiently and/or adequately tested for safety risks.”
Attorneys for Bjorklund are pursuing compensatory and punitive damages for their client’s “pain and suffering for severe and permanent personal injuries,” health care costs and medical monitoring, as well as court and legal fees.
Reference:
- Jaclyn Bjorklund v. Novo Nordisk et al. https://www.forthepeople.com/sites/default/files/2023-08/Morgan%20%26%20Morgan%20Ozempic%20Bjorklund%20Complaint%20Watermarked%208.2.23.pdf. Accessed August 3, 2023.