Two deaths in Northern Ireland potentially linked to weight loss jabs have been reported to the UK drugs regulator over the last two years.
Data from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) revealed that one of the reported deaths was linked to Mounjaro, while the other was linked to unspecified semaglutide - a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus in the UK.
The deaths were of a man and woman, one in their 40s and the other in their 60s, the data showed.
Read more: Relying on weight loss drugs is the ‘wrong answer’, says Chris Whitty
The reactions reported in relation to the deaths include gastrointestinal disorders, hepatobiliary disorders, and renal and urinary disorders. The data seen by C+D does not detail which reactions are specific to the two GLP-1 medicines concerned.
The cases are just two of 511 suspected adverse drug reactions relating to GLP-1s reported to the MHRA from Northern Ireland between 2024 and 2025, with 82% of these made by healthcare professionals.
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Serious reports - not including the two with fatal outcomes - accounted for 242 of the total cases reported to the regulator, while 267 reports were non-serious.
And the data showed that one of the serious reports related to someone aged nine or younger.
“Benefits outweigh risks”
MHRA chief safety officer Dr Alison Cave said patient safety is its “top priority” and “no medicine would be approved” unless it met the regulator’s “expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness”.
“We have robust, safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products,” she added. “ When a safety issue is confirmed, we always act promptly to inform patients and healthcare professionals and take appropriate steps to mitigate any identified risk.”
Read more: Fake Mounjaro pens supplied through UK online pharmacy
She said that “on the basis of the current evidence, the benefits of GLP-1 medicines outweigh the potential risks when used for the licensed indications”.
“The decision to start, continue or stop treatments should be made jointly by patients and their doctor, based on full consideration of the benefits and risks.”
Read more: Don’t rely on GPs for NHS weight loss jabs, NPA urges
It comes after England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty said that relying on weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to tackle rising obesity rates would be a “societal failure”.
And it follows the MHRA revealing that falsified versions of Mounjaro pens have been supplied through an online pharmacy in the UK.
