The manufacturers of Ozempic and Mounjaro sued over allegations of a “stomach paralysis” side effect.

A personal injury law firm sued Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Co, manufacturers of ozimbek And monjarodue to claims that diabetes drugs, namely Popular to help lose weightIt can cause gastroparesis, which is paralysis of the stomach.

Paul Pinnock and Jonathan Sage, the two attorneys presiding over the lawsuit from Morgan & Morgan, announced the lawsuit at a press conference on Wednesday, saying the basis of the lawsuit was “failure to warn.”

“We believe it is these drugs that are causing these problems. We believe there is enough evidence to be able to prove it otherwise we would not have filed the case, and we intend to file more in the coming days and weeks.” Pennock said during the Zoom conference, noting that the first case raised involved a 44-year-old woman from Louisiana who took both drugs, first Ozempic and then Mounjaro, at her doctor’s discretion.

“Her problems were so severe that she went to the emergency room several times, including this past weekend. She actually vomited so violently that she lost her teeth,” he said of the plaintiff, who is seeking financial compensation, but did not receive monetary compensation. . He was officially diagnosed with gastroparesis.

Pinnock says his company is investigating another 400 inquiries from clients across 45 states.

Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, and semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, are taken once a week by injection. Mounjaro is known as a GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, while Ozempic and Wegovy are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.

What is gastroparesis?

Also called delayed gastric emptying, Gastroparesis is a disorder Which “slows or stops the movement of food from your stomach into your small intestine, even though there is no stomach or intestinal obstruction,” according to the National Institutes of Health.

The National Institutes of Health says diabetes itself is the most common cause of gastroparesis. Diabetic gastroparesis most commonly occurs in patients with poorly controlled or long-term (ie, 5 years or more) diabetes, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

“It is unclear whether GLP-1 agonist medications used in patients with type 2 diabetes contribute to diabetic gastroparesis,” the FDA said Thursday in a statement to CBS News. “If the newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine the appropriate actions after a thorough review of the body of evidence.”

Priya Hand, who was not involved in the lawsuit, told CBS News that she went to the hospital six times during her treatment with Ozempic, and was eventually admitted to intensive care.

“The stomach pain was unbearable and I couldn’t keep anything down,” she said. “I’d drink something and within minutes, like five or 10 minutes, I’d throw up.”

In a statement to CBS News, Novo Nordisk said the gastrointestinal, or GI, events are “a known side effect of GLP-1 class.”

“For semaglutide, the majority of gastrointestinal side effects are mild to moderate in severity and short in duration. GLP-1 is known to cause a delay in gastric emptying, as stated on the label of each of our GLP-1 RA medications. Symptoms The statement continued. Delayed stomach emptying, nausea, and vomiting are among the side effects.

“Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority, and we are actively involved in monitoring and reporting safety information for all of our medicines,” said Eli Lilly & Company.

Monjaro and Ozambique are the two Approved by the Food and Drug Administration diabetes medications, while Wegovy is FDA-approved specifically for weight loss.

These drugs were originally developed to treat people with type 2 diabetes because they produce insulin and lower blood sugar. They also release a hormone that slows digestion and keeps food in the patient’s stomach for a longer period. This process suppresses hunger and leads to weight loss, but there may be side effects, and doctors warn about it The long-term effects are still unknown.

— Kara Corti, Janet Shamlian and Alex Tin contributed reporting.