The United Kingdom is investigating hundreds of cases of pancreatitis in patients taking Ozempic.

The UK has collected hundreds of reports of acute and chronic pancreatitis from people taking drugs such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy , although none have been confirmed as being caused by these drugs.

However, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has asked people taking these weight-loss drugs who have been hospitalized with acute pancreatitis to contact the agency so they can conduct a study to better predict who is most at risk of these adverse reactions.

The MHRA is conducting this study after 294 people suffered acute and chronic pancreatitis after taking semaglutide, the active ingredient used in drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, or after taking tirzepatide, found in Mounjaro.

The Independent reports that while "none of these cases have been shown to be directly caused" by so-called GLP-1 drugs , which are also used to treat diabetes, "there are fears that not enough is known about this link." It points out that, in addition to these 294 cases, they may also be linked to ten deaths in the United Kingdom.

In fact, the European Medicines Agency warns that "acute pancreatitis has been observed with the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists" and reminds that "if pancreatitis is suspected, treatment with semaglutide should be discontinued , and it should not be resumed if pancreatitis is confirmed." It also indicates that "extreme caution should be exercised in patients with a history of pancreatitis."