The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reminded healthcare professionals to warn patients about common and serious side effects associated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs).
Simultaneously, the House of Lords food, diet, and obesity committee declared a public health emergency on obesity and diet-related diseases and recommended a tax on on junk foods.
In a drug safety update, the MHRA said that GLP-1RAs are “effective and acceptably safe treatments” when used within their licensed indications, but carry risks like all medicines.
Five GLP-1RAs are licensed to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity: dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, lixisenatide, semaglutide, as well as tirzepatide (Mounjaro), a dual GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonist.
Semaglutide (Wegovy) is also licensed to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with established disease.
The MHRA alert said that the drugs posed a risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as vomiting and diarrhoea for more than 1 in 10 patients, with possible complications including severe dehydration, kidney damage, and hospitalisation. Patients should be warned and also alerted to the risk of less common but serious effects such as hypoglycae
