The medicines regulator is investigating after hundreds of people have reported problems with their pancreas linked to taking weight loss and diabetes jabs.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Genomics England have launched the Yellow Card Biobank project to examine whether cases of pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 drugs may be influenced by people’s genetic makeup.
New MHRA data shows that since the drugs were licensed, there have been hundreds of cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis among people taking GLP-1 medicines.
Some cases of pancreatitis reported to be linked to GLP-1 medicines (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) have also been fatal.
The cases reported include:
- 181 reported cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to tirzepatide – the active ingredient for Mounjaro.
- 116 reported reactions of this kind linked to liraglutide.
- 113 cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to semaglutide – the active ingredient for Ozempic and Wegovy.
- 101 reported reactions of this kind linked to exenatide.
- 52 reported reactions of this sort linked to dulaglutide and 11 reported reactions to lixisenatide.
The fatalities reported include:
- Five people died following acute and chronic pancreatitis linked to tirzepatide.
- One person died following reported reactions of this kind linked to liraglutide.
- One person died following reported reactions of this kind linked to semaglutide.
- Three people died following reported reactions of this kind linked to exenatide.
These cases are not confirmed as being caused by the medicines, but the person who reported them suspected they may be.
What is pancreatitis?
Acute pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas – a small organ behind the stomach that helps with digestion – becomes inflamed over a short period of time.
While it typically resolves within about a week, some people with severe acute pancreatitis can go on to develop serious complications.
The NHS says the most common symptoms of acute pancreatitis include sudden, severe abdominal pain, feeling or being sick and a fever or high temperature of 38C or more.
Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is when the organ becomes permanently damaged from inflammation, and typically occurs after one or more attacks of acute pancreatitis.
The most common symptom of chronic pancreatitis is repeated episodes of severe abdominal pain, particularly in the middle or left side, which can move along your back. It is described as a burning or shooting pain that comes and goes. However, as the condition progresses, the painful episodes may become more frequent and severe.
Signs of advanced chronic pancreatitis include weight loss, a loss of appetite, jaundice, other symptoms associated with diabetes and ongoing nausea and vomiting.
The MHRA is calling for people who are taking GLP-1 medicine and have been admitted to hospital due to acute pancreatitis to submit a report to its Yellow Card scheme.
GLP-1 agonists can lower blood sugar levels in people living with type 2 diabetes and can also be prescribed to support some people with weight loss. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs.
What are the other side effects of GLP-1 medicine?
The most common side effects, which may affect more than 1 in 10 patients, are gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea, according to the MHRA. These are more likely to occur at the start of treatment or after a recent increase in dose.
While manageable, they can sometimes lead to more serious complications such as severe dehydration and kidney damage.
In 2024, the MHRA warned of other serious but less common side effects of GLP-1RAs, including pancreatitis and gall bladder disorders, which may occur in between 1 in 100 and 1 in 10,000 patients.
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can also occur in non-diabetic patients using some GLP-1RAs for weight management.
Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer of Genomics England, said that like all medicines, “there can be a risk of serious side effects”.
“We believe there is real potential to minimise these, with many adverse reactions having a genetic cause.
“This next step in our partnership with the MHRA will generate data and evidence for safer and more effective treatment through more personalised approaches to prescription, supporting a shift towards an increasingly prevention-focused healthcare system.”
