Women taking weight loss jabs “must use effective contraception”, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today (June 5) announced.
The regulator warned in new guidance that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) such as Mounjaro and Wegovy “must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to get pregnant or during breastfeeding”.
“Anyone who gets pregnant while using them should stop the medicine,” it added.
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“This is because there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby,” it said.
And “in some cases”, patients should continue to use contraception “for up to two months between stopping the medicine and trying to get pregnant”, it added.
“Reduced” contraception efficacy
But one form of contraception may not be sufficient for those taking tirzepatide drug Mounjaro, the regulator warned.
“Mounjaro may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in those who are overweight,” it said.
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It advised those on the drug “who are overweight and are using an oral form of contraception…to also use a non-oral form of contraception”.
“This only applies to those taking Mounjaro and is especially important for the four weeks after starting Mounjaro and after any dose increase,” it added.
Concerns raised
The MHRA said that its advice followed “concerns…that some people are not using these medicines for weight loss and diabetes safely”.
“This advice, which is already in the patient leaflets that come with the medicine, is just one of the reminders in the latest guidance from the MHRA on the safe use of GLP-1 medicines,” it added.
The new guidance “also reminds patients of the symptoms to look out for in the event of acute pancreatitis which – although uncommon – can be serious,” it stressed.
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“The main symptom of this is severe pain in the stomach that radiates to the back and doesn’t go away,” it said, adding that “anyone who experiences this should seek immediate medical help”.
The guidance also said that patients should not purchase these medicines “from unregulated sellers such as beauty salons or via social media”.
“The only way to guarantee receiving a genuine GLP-1 medicine is to obtain it from a legitimate pharmacy,” it added.
“Not a quick fix”
“Skinny jabs are medicines licensed to treat specific medical conditions and should not be used as aesthetic or cosmetic treatments,” MHRA chief safety officer Dr Alison Cave said.
“They are not a quick fix to lose weight and have not been assessed to be safe when used in this way,” she added.
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“Our guidance offers patients a ‘one-stop-shop’ for our up-to-date advice on how to use these powerful medicines safely,” she said.
“This guidance should not be used as a substitute to reading the patient information leaflet or having a conversation with a healthcare professional as part of the prescribing process,” she added.
National Pharmacy Association (NPA) medication safety officer Jasmine Shah urged pharmacists and patients to “note this important new guidance from the MHRA”.
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“Community pharmacies have been experiencing unprecedented levels of interest for weight loss injections,” she said.
“We urge anyone who has concerns about this medication to speak to their pharmacist for advice,” she added.
Mounting concerns?
The advice comes as multiple claims around weight loss drugs have been raised with the NPA’s pharmacy insurance arm, including one after a patient had to have their gallbladder removed.
In June, C+D exclusively reported that a “young girl” was rushed to A&E for urgent treatment after presenting with life threatening symptoms after taking weight loss drug Wegovy that she had obtained through Boots Online Doctor.
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Meanwhile, weight loss clinic Dr Frank’s last month revealed that it has become aware that some weight loss drug affiliate codes had been “shared online” in ways that are “strictly against regulations”.
And reports last month claimed that a multimillion-pound deal “with a major pharmaceutical firm” is set to fund a national NHS weight loss jab prescription pilot in pharmacies.
Also in May, C+D revealed that one online pharmacy’s funds boomed almost 600% in just six months thanks to the thousands of weight loss scripts it processes every month.
