A Pennsylvania woman has filed a lawsuit against Ozempic producers, saying it caused her to suffer substantial health problems. Juanita Gantt took the drug without problems for months but then suddenly collapsed and was found unconscious. The 62-year-old subsequently underwent abdominal surgery, and doctors found that parts of her large intestine had ceased normal functioning, forcing them to remove a significant section. The diabetes patient also entered cardiac arrest during surgery, causing her to have what she described as a near-death experience. Doctors confirmed that her heart stopped briefly, and she will need to use a drainage pouch to go to the bathroom for the rest of her life.
Physicians said they believe the drug, intended for diabetes treatment but increasingly used for weight loss, may have constricted Ms. Gantt’s abdominal blood vessels and reduced flow to her colon. Lack of oxygen in the large intestine would, in turn, cause its functions to slow down and end eventually cease.
Gantt’s lawsuit is not the first filed against Ozempic, which is produced by Novo Nordisk. Last December, a 53-year-old Iowa woman Melissa Huffman accused the company of downplaying or concealing potential side effects while spending millions of dollars on promotion. Since 2018, Novo Nordisk has spent almost $900 million on TV ads, and by 2023, the number of active Ozempic prescriptions in the US hit a new high of 373,000.
The Iowa lawsuit claims that Ozempic labels “do not disclose gastroparesis as a risk of taking Ozempic, nor do they disclose gastroparesis as a chronic condition.” Huffman said she developed the condition, which led to “severe and permanent personal injuries,” for which she must now take additional medications.
Ozempic has had a promotion boost in recent months as celebrities admit they have started using it for weight control. Among them is talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, whose weight battles have plagued her career. During a media interview in March, Winfrey said she never dreamed she would use medication to help her lose weight but insisted such drugs provide hope for “people like me who have struggled for years with being overweight or with obesity.”
