Concerns grow about popular weight loss drugs backed by social media influencers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Concerns are growing about the popular new weight loss drugs including Ozempic. New research says these drugs can cause serious, even deadly side effects.
These new drugs being used for weight loss were prescribed 40 million times in the United States last year.
However, this new study is warning that the drugs can lead to an increased risk of severe stomach problems.
Prescription drugs used to suppress appetite have exploded in popularity with social media influencers and celebrities sharing the success they've had using the drug Semaglutide marketed as Wegovy and Ozempic known technically as GLP-1 agonists.
Developed to treat diabetes, Ozempic's off-label use for weight loss is driving its demand.
But now a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that for every thousand patients who used the drug, some suffered moderate to severe stomach problems, including pancreatitis and stomach paralysis.
"Each one of these complications could be serious enough that it could be life-threatening," gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Pochapin said.
Doctors say patients outside of the drugs' target audience are at a higher risk for exhibiting rare side effects.
"The American psyche is giving me a pill or a medicine to fix a problem," Pochapin said.
The drugs' manufacturer Novo Nordisk responded to the findings, saying it "stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1RA medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and approved indications."
The study comes as drug companies work toward manufacturing a generic version of the drug, which if successful, would give more people access.
Doctors say there are millions of people who are doing well on the drugs as long as they're being used appropriately and the patients are being monitored by a physician