Ozempic Injury Lawyers

Richmond Dangerous Drugs Lawyers Handling Ozempic Claims

Virginia attorneys advocating for people who developed life-threatening illnesses from Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other off-label weight loss drugs

Ozempic and Mounjaro have been associated with severe gastrointestinal conditions which can have long-ranging effects on patients’ bodies. These medications were designed to treat type 2 diabetes but have increasingly been prescribed for off-label weight loss.

Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers is currently reviewing potential cases against the manufacturers of Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other medications associated with gastroparesis, or paralyzed stomachs, and gallbladder injuries and diseases. If you sustained injuries, contact us in Richmond today for a free case evaluation from a team of experienced medical products liability attorneys.

Contact Us

Our Case Results

$3.75 Million
Wrongful Death Settlement - Swimming pool drowning
$3.5 Million
Medical Malpractice Jury Verdict - Misread x-ray led to failure to diagnose bowel injury

Quick questions

What are Ozempic and Mounjaro?

Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are medications to treat adult-onset type 2 diabetes. Both medications are administered by injection once a week.

  • About Ozempic: Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which means it mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is naturally produced in a person’s small intestine. This hormone stimulates insulin secretion and slows down how quickly glucose can enter the bloodstream. It is manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
  • About Mounjaro: Mounjaro is a GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, which means it mimics two types of hormones created in, and secreted from, the intestine. It is manufactured by Eli Lilly.

Both medications stop working the moment patients stop using them. This means that, if you are prescribed Ozempic, Mounjaro, or another similar medication, you must take it for the rest of your life.

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is Ozempic, but only for weight loss. It, too, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Wegovy works by “target[ing] areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake.”

What is Rybelsus?

Rybelsus, like Ozempic, is a GLP-1 used to treat type 2 diabetes. It is a daily tablet which one takes orally.

tab

Why are Ozempic and Mounjaro being prescribed?

Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are supposed to help lower the blood sugar levels of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As it turns out, they also lead to weight loss, though per the Mayo Clinic, the official reason for this weight loss is unknown.

That has not stopped doctors from prescribing Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other similar medications specifically for weight loss. As of May 2023, clinical trials were underway at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine to see if semaglutide could help people quit smoking and drinking, too.

tab

What is gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis, also known as stomach paralysis, is a condition which affects your stomach’s ability to move food through your digestive tract. People who have been prescribed Ozempic or Mounjaro for weight loss have been diagnosed with this condition.

What happens is that your stomach muscles either slow down or stop working, so the food you eat cannot progress through the full process of digestion. Your stomach is unable to empty its contents.

Symptoms

According to the Mayo Clinic, not everyone with this condition will exhibit symptoms at all. However, the most common symptoms of gastroparesis include:

  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal bloating
  • Abdominal pain
  • A feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites
  • Vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier
  • Acid reflux
  • Changes in blood sugar levels
  • Lack of appetite
  • Weight loss

Complications

The Mayo Clinic reports that, with medication and/or changes to your diet, you should be able to manage gastroparesis. However, it can lead to some severe complications, including:

  • Severe malnutrition or dehydration from consistent nausea or from the body’s failure to absorb nutrients from food
  • Bezoars (hardened masses of undigested food in the stomach), which can prevent all food from passing through the stomach and into the small intestine, which could a life-threatening situation
  • Erratic changes in bloods sugar levels, which can not only affect one’s diabetes, but can also lead to “neurological disorders, thyroid diseases, kidney diseases and obesity.”

Other potential complications/ conditions associated with Ozempic and Mounjaro include thyroid tumors (listed on Ozempic’s Black Box warning) cancer, gallbladder diseases/gallstones, pancreatitis, kidney failure, and changes in vision. One woman’s lawsuit claims that the persistent vomiting actually caused her to lose teeth; persistent vomiting can wear away the enamel on your teeth and cause them to become loose.

Do Ozempic and Mounjaro cause gallbladder disease?

In 2022, JAMA Internal Medicine published a Research Letter that found a potential link between an increased risk of gallbladder disease and the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and other medications. Per their findings, “Time from GLP-1 RA initiation to onset of [acute cholecystitis] AC was less than 90 days in 47% of cases.” (Emphasis ours)

Cholelithiasis, also known as gallstones, occurs when hardened deposits of bile develop in the gallbladder. They can vary in size.

Larger stones can block the ducts from your gallbladder to your small intestine. This can lead to inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), which can cause intense pain in your abdomen, between your shoulder blade, or in your right shoulder. It can also cause nausea. In severe cases, it can lead to jaundice and fever.

Gallstones which obstruct the ducts can also lead to a secondary condition called hydro cholecystitis (gallbladder hydrops), where “the gallbladder is distended with mucus, water, or clear liquid content instead of bile.”

tab

How do you treat gallbladder disease?

In some cases, pain medication or antibiotics may provide some immediate relief, though the only permanent cure is surgery to remove the gallbladder (cholecystectomy). This is often performed laparoscopically, but open surgery may be required, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Potential risks

All surgery comes with risks. However, those risks may be exacerbated for the elderly, people who are considered obese, and people with diabetes – the three groups of individuals who are most likely to be taking Ozempic. The risks include:

  • Infection at the surgical site, which can lead to life-threatening sepsis
  • Slowed or delayed healing
  • Anesthesia risks
  • Hernia formation (in open abdominal surgery)
  • Increased risk of blood clots
  • Mobility concerns
  • Increased damage to the heart and/or kidneys (for older patients, or those with pre-existing conditions)
tab

Can I file a lawsuit if I suffered injury while taking Ozempic or Mounjaro?

Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers is currently reviewing potential cases against the manufacturers of Ozempic and Mounjaro on behalf of people who have developed gastropareses, gallbladder disease, or other severe medical conditions. If you were prescribed Ozempic or Mounjaro for the off-label use of weight loss, and developed gastroparesis that has lasted at least four (4) weeks, or developed acute or chronic gallbladder conditions, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit:

  • Against your prescribing doctor. If your doctor failed to warn you of the potential risks and prescribed a medication off-use, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against him or her. If you were taking medications that are counter-indicated and you suffered harm from off-label use of Ozempic or Mounjaro, you may also have a medical malpractice claim.
  • Against the manufacturer. Drug manufacturers have a duty to warn potential consumers about any side effects or risks their products may pose. If they do not, you may be eligible to file a product liability lawsuit.

In Virginia, you have two years from the date of your injury (or the discovery of that injury) to file a claim. It is in your best interests to contact us as soon as possible to get started.

Note that Ozempic was first developed in 2012 and has only been available in the U.S. since 2017. Wegovy made it to market in 2021. Mounjaro was approved for use for type 2 diabetes in 2022; it was granted a priority review voucher by the FDA, having finished its clinical trials in 2021. (Eli Lilly applied for the patent for Mounjaro in 2016.)

In short, these medications must be taken for the rest of a person’s life. Yet not one of them went through long-term trials to determine whether or not they would be safe for a lifetime.

tab

How can Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers help me with my case?

At Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers, we are dedicated trial lawyers with the experience, knowledge, and resources to handle any case. We have secured millions on behalf of our clients and have worked on some of the most significant dangerous drug cases there are, including those involving diabetes medications like Actos and Invokana, weight loss products like Fen-Phen, and opioid litigation. We have also secured significant awards on behalf of medical malpractice clients in cases involving dangerous medications and drug-related errors. Our results include:

  • $2.85 million in a product liability case for a woman who developed a pre-leukemic disease from a pharmaceutical product that contained benzene. At the time, this was the highest settlement in the country against this manufacturer for this product.
  • $1.9 million in a product liability case in which we sued under a theory of breach of implied warranty of merchantability.
  • A confidential settlement in a wrongful death case involving warfarin, an anti-coagulation medication.
  • $1.25 million verdict in Fen-Phen case.

When you work with our Richmond-based attorneys, you get the full power of our law firm on your side. We have decades of experience representing people with catastrophic injuries, and a network of outside experts who assist us with complex litigation.

What kinds of damages can I seek for a defective drug in Virginia?

Under the law, you could be entitled to damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In some cases, you could be entitled to punitive damages as well.

Do you have a dangerous drug lawyer near me?

Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers is located at 3315 West Broad Street in Richmond, and proudly serves clients throughout the Commonwealth. If you are too injured or ill to travel, we can arrange a phone or video consultation.

Contact Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers if you suffered harm after taking Ozempic or Mounjaro

When pharmaceutical companies put their profits first, Phelan Petty Injury Lawyers is ready and able to help. Our award-winning legal team will be your advocate. To learn more about our services, or to schedule a free case review, please call us or fill out our contact form. We’re based in Richmond and represent people throughout Virginia.