Regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy are associated with a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.
The European Medicines Agency’s regulatory committee announced results of its consideration on Friday. It is the latest group to conclude that there is no known link between a new class of anti-obesity drugs and suicide.
In January, the US Food and Drug Administration said preview did not provide any evidence of such a link, although 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 drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, had a lower risk of suicidal ideation than those taking older medications to treat diabetes and obesity.
The review by European Union regulators was prompted last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs were having thoughts of self-harm. Regulators reviewed studies, post-marketing data and other studies related to drugs used in nearly a dozen drugs used to treat these diseases. The group has not verified information about tirzepatide, a drug used in the drugs sold under the names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Both agencies said they will continue to closely monitor reports of suicidal thoughts or actions in people taking drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Patients taking the medications should tell their health care providers about any mental health or other concerns, officials said.