LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain is reviewing a class of drugs used in a diabetes medicine and a weight-loss treatment sold by Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO after some patients reported suicidal or self-harming thoughts, two weeks after similar action by the European Union.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in a statement to Reuters late on Tuesday it was reviewing safety data on a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
This includes Novo’s Ozempic, which contains the active ingredient semaglutide and is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes.
It also includes Novo’s Saxenda, which contains the active ingredient liraglutide and is approved as a weight-loss treatment. Saxenda is Novo’s older GLP-1 drug and has lower effectiveness than its newer obesity treatment Wegovy, which contains semaglutide.
Novo told Reuters it had received a request on Monday from the MHRA about the agency’s review of potential suicidal and self-harming thoughts related to GLP-1 drugs.
“The review is ongoing and a response will be provided within the requested timelines,” it said in a statement.
