Lawsuit Alleging “Stomach Paralysis” Side Effects from Mounjaro May Impact Sales of New Diet Drug
As Eli Lilly continues to seek official approval for Mounjaro as a weight-loss treatment for non-diabetic obese patients, a new lawsuit may be a sign of problems for the drugmaker, as additional claims are being investigated on behalf of individuals who developed stomach paralysis or gastroparesis.
The complaint was filed in the Western District of Louisiana on August 2, 2023, on behalf of Plaintiff Jacklyn Bjorklund, who claims that she developed stomach paralysis after using Mounjaro and Ozempic for more than 1 year.
Bjorklund’s lawsuit further alleges that her use of the drugs caused her to experience severe gastrointestinal events, including vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning and repeated visits to the hospital emergency room for stomach issues.
As a result of excessive vomiting, Bjorklund claims that some of her teeth fell out, and that she has been required to take additional medications to prevent throwing up food hours after eating.
The lawsuit is: Jaclyn Bjorklund v. Novo Nordisk et al., case number 2:23-cv-01020, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
What is Mounjaro?
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2022 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The drug is an injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that works to lower blood sugar levels in the body by increasing insulin secretion.
Why is Mounjaro So Popular?
Mounjaro has gained significant attention since its release for the drug’s ability to improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes, which causes insulin resistance and insufficiency. Mounjaro works by activating both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors to stimulate the release of insulin, a hormone responsible for reducing blood sugar levels.
While Mounjaro was specifically approved only to treat type 2 diabetes, the medication quickly became prescribed off-label as a weight loss drug in a similar fashion as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, all of which share the same active ingredient, semaglutide.
In less than 1 year of Mounjaro being on the market, Eli Lilly released a financial statement indicating that Mounjaro was the primary contributor to the company’s $573.6 million in revenue generated for the first quarter of the year.
GLP-1 Agonists: Diabetes Drugs and Weight Loss
Over the past several years, a number of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs approved exclusively to treat type 2 diabetes have been widely used off-label to obese patients for weight loss.
However, concerns are now being raised about stomach problems linked to the medications, after a growing number of patients have reported suffering severe digestive side effects that have led to permanent gastrointestinal injuries, including a condition known as stomach paralysis.
What is Stomach Paralysis?
Stomach paralysis, also known as delayed gastric emptying or gastroparesis, weakens the normal muscle contractions of the stomach. These contractions are necessary to push food through the digestive tract into the intestines.
Gastroparesis Symptoms
In patients with stomach paralysis, the stomach is slow to empty, resulting in symptoms including:
- Nausea
- Vomiting undigested food
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal bloating
- Severe dehydration
- Feeling full after only a few bites
- Undigested food hardening in the stomach
- Acid reflux
- Fluctuating blood sugar levels
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Malnutrition
- Decreased quality of life
Thousands of Mounjaro Lawsuits Could be on the Horizon
With up to 15% of Americans having taken some type of weight loss drug such as Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy or Rybelsus, it is expected that the number of patients who ultimately develop stomach paralysis or other gastrointestinal injuries could skyrocket in the future, since adequate warnings were not provided about the risks on the drugs’ labeling.
As a result of this failure to warn on the part of the manufacturers, lawyers across the country are preparing for what could be one of the largest mass tort claims in American history.
Do I Have a Mounjaro Stomach Paralysis Class Action Lawsuit?
The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Mounjaro Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new stomach paralysis cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one suffered from stomach paralysis or another injury after taking Mounjaro or another weight loss medication, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a Mounjaro Stomach Paralysis Class Action Lawsuit and our lawyers can help.