Semaglutide is the active ingredient found in widely used medication prescribed for type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) and obesity (Wegovy).
It is well-known as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), which mimics the GLP-1 hormone the human body produces after a meal, causing the pancreas to release more insulin.
This mechanism is how drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy keep blood glucose levels within the normal range.
Wegovy is currently only approved for obesity, while Ozempic and Mounjaro are FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes treatment. Mounjaro is a tirzepatide brand manufactured by Eli Lilly. Tirzepatide differs from semaglutide in its combined GLP-1 agonist and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonist action. This dual agonism allows the drug to lower glucose levels and reduce weight, but the side effects reported for Mounjaro are similar to other GLP-1 agonists.
Since the first semaglutide drug was approved in 2005, patients and manufacturers have seen many changes: shortages, compounding, and more than a thousand lawsuits from patients who experienced severe side effects under these drugs, including stomach paralysis, bowel obstruction, and vision loss. Listed below is a timeline of legal events concerning GLP-1 receptor agonists.
A timeline of legal events involving weight-loss drugs
- (Schuduled) May 2025 - On May 14, 2025, a pivotal Rule 702 evidentiary hearing is scheduled to take place. This step will determine which type of expert testimony will be accepted at trial.
- March 2025 - As of March 3, 2025, at least 1,521 pending lawsuits are consolidated under the Multidistrict Litigation 3094 (MDL 3094) or the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Products Liability Litigation. In a decision filed on March 7, a U.S. judge refused to let compounding pharmacies continue making copies of Eli Lilly's diabetes drugs, including its tirzepatide brands, Zepbound and Mounjaro.
- June 2024 - After three weeks without a judge, U.S. District Judge Karen Marston was selected to take over the lawsuit proceedings for MDL 3094. This was after U.S. District Judge Gene E. K. Pratter passed away at 75 in May 2024.
- May 2024 - At least 87 lawsuits have already been filed against drug manufacturers. On May 30, Novo Nordisk announced that it was filing lawsuits against spas, clinics, pharmacies, and companies for "unlawful marketing" of compounded drugs, some of which allegedly did not contain semaglutide.
- March 2024 - The first status conference on the GLP-1 product liability litigation was held in Pennsylvania. During this event, the leadership structure of counsel and committees was discussed along with other procedural aspects.
- April 2024 - On April 9, 2024, the defendants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly filed a position statement where they tried to classify lawsuits into different groups. They stated that many plaintiffs lack an "objective diagnosis" of gastroparesis. On April 16, the plaintiff's lawyers refuted the defendants' claims.
- February 2024 - On February 2, 2024, a federal judicial panel ordered the consolidation of at least 55 lawsuits into multidistrict litigation (MDL 3094) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
- January 2024 - Novo Nordisk supported the creation of multidistrict litigation, according to Reuters, but insisted that the claims had no merit. On the other hand, Eli Lilly wanted their drugs (Mounjaro, Trulicity, and Zepbound) to be excluded, but this was rejected by the MDL panel.
- December 2023: According to a Reuters report, a Louisiana judge rejected Novo Nordisk's bid to dismiss Bjorklund's claim in August 2023, as the plaintiff had shown enough evidence to support her claim.
- October 2023: On October 6, 2023, a proposed class action lawsuit was filed in Canada against Novo Nordisk for damages caused by Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy drugs.
- August 2023: A Louisiana woman named Jaclyn Bjorklund filed a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly after experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, including gastroparesis or stomach paralysis.
Atraxia Law can help you file a lawsuit against GLP-1 RA manufacturers
If you have been diagnosed with gastroparesis, bowel obstruction, or vision loss after being put on GLP-1 RAs, you might be eligible to file a claim under MDL 3094. Ataxia Law can help you by evaluating your case. You only need to prepare documents that show you had been diagnosed with gastroparesis, bowel obstruction, or vision loss and your medical records that show you did not have these as preexisting conditions before taking diabetes or weight-loss medication.