A report by USA Today has said over 4,400 lawsuits have been filed in the US against companies manufacturing weight loss jabs since 2023.
Plaintiffs accuse the companies of not sufficiently warning patients of the potential side effect of “severe injuries”.
One man from Maryland suffered an “eye stroke”, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, in both eyes, which he says left him blind.
The review found that in at least 110 of the lawsuits, “sudden blindness or severe vision changes” were reported as a side-effect.
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Another plaintiff, a woman from Oklahoma, heard her own “colon pop” as it ruptured whilst she was driving her granddaughter home.
And a woman from Louisiana suffered severe vomiting before later being diagnosed with a brain dysfunction disorder, usually caused by a “deficiency of thiamine, or Vitamin B1”.
The report collated 4,400 lawsuits filed against Novo Nordisk (relating to Wegovy, Rybelsus, Victoza and Saxenda) and Eli-Lilly, (relating to Trulicity, Mounjaro and Zepbound).
On January 13, Katie Insogna, a lawyer for Novo Nordisk, detailed the adverse symptoms in the lawsuits filed against them.
Severe injuries
The most common severe side effect alleged in the Novo Nordisk lawsuits was gastroparesis, where the stomach stops emptying food to the small intestine, which featured in 75% of cases.
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In 18% of the testimonies, users of the drug alleged they developed ileus, where food is not pushed out of the body by bowel muscles.
Another 18% alleged they had intestinal obstructions, 8% said they presented with gallbladder injuries, and a further 8% said they developed severe gastrointestinal problems.
These were reported to have included frequent extreme vomiting episodes, chronic acid reflux and severe stomach pains, which required hospitalisation.
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Many plaintiffs allegedly suffered multiple severe adverse symptoms, so they formed part of the figures for more than one side effect.
Novo Nordisk told USA Today that the company updates product labels, “in cooperation with the FDA and consistent with federal regulations to reflect the most current understanding of the safety and efficacy profile of our medicines.”
“Novo Nordisk remains confident in the benefit-risk profile of our GLP-1 medicines, when used consistent with their indications and product labeling,” it said.
In a statement to USA Today, Eli Lily said: “Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority, and we actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines.
“Mounjaro, Zepbound, and Trulicity’s labels include robust, FDA-approved warnings, and have always warned of potential ‘gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe.’
“As part of our routine safety review process for Mounjaro, Zepbound and Trulicity, we work closely with regulators regarding potential safety topics, and we will continue to review data to ensure that appropriate safety information is available to prescribers.”
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The first GLP-1 weight loss pill was launched in America earlier this month.
It was approved by regulators on December 22, 2025 and remains the only pill version of the drug on the market in the US.
Novo Nordisk shared data in August which claimed their weight loss injections had been “proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 20-26%”.
