Summary
- Ozempic and similar drugs have been used for ‘miracle’ weight loss lately.
- Now, these drugs are causing serious health issues like stomach paralysis and gallbladder issues.
- Many users of Ozempic and Mounjaro have filed product liability lawsuits.
- The Ozempic Lawsuit plaintiffs have filed a motion to consolidate all lawsuits into an MDL.
- A Louisiana judge denied Novo Nordisk’s attempt to dismiss the first Ozempic lawsuit.
- Novo Nordisk agrees with lawsuit consolidation, but Mounjaro rejects it, claiming they were only named in a few cases.
Ozempic is a drug initially created to help people with diabetes control their insulin and blood sugar levels that have come into greater popularity as a weight loss drug. However, many people prescribed the drug for weight loss have reported symptoms of stomach paralysis, including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and malnutrition.
The active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, can slow the stomach muscles down to the point where people cannot digest food, leading to it solidifying in the stomach and causing damage. Ozempic and Mounjaro, another weight loss drug, users have filed lawsuits against the manufacturers of these two medications for failing to warn consumers of gastrointestinal issues, negligence, and design defects.
The litigation process against Ozempic Mounjaro is ongoing and evolving, with new cases being added all the time as the word spreads and people learn that their health problems (mainly gastroparesis and gallbladder problems) could be caused by the medicine they are taking.
Learn more: Who Can File an Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit?
Updates and Information on the Ozempic Lawsuit
As the Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit and Ozepic Gallbladder Lawsuit continue to heat up and controversy builds, keeping up with the newest updates can be challenging. We will keep this page updated with all the newest changes to both the gallbladder lawsuit and the stomach lawsuit.
This page is up to date as of April 24, 2024.
February 2, 2024 – Short Supply of Wegovy Continues
Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical giant that makes Wegovy and Ozempic, is scrambling to boost the supply of its wildly popular drug, Wegovy, which has been exploding in growth due to its weight loss effects. However, as the manufacturer and supplies scurry to make and distribute more of the drug, the fact that it’s currently embroiled in a lawsuit over serious health risks doesn’t seem to be slowing anyone down, especially as Novo Nordisk shows record profits.
January 14, 2024 – The Wait for the JPML on January 25th Continues
As we reported, the U.S. JPML is scheduled for oral arguments to discuss consolidating all GLP-1 stomach paralysis lawsuits for January 25, 2024 in the Central District of California. If an MDL is agreed upon, the lawsuits will be centralized and the pretrial proceedings will begin. But, if the parties can’t negotiate each claim will be sent back to the U.S. District Court where it was originally filed.
And so the weight contiunues with no big update as of now. The hearing is just 11 days away where we expect to have signigicant updates to report.
January 8, 2024 – Novo Nordisk Supports Consolidation of Ozempic Lawsuits
Users of the weight loss and diabetes drug Ozempic have filed product liability lawsuits to pursue compensation for damages caused by stomach paralysis. Mounjaro has also come under fire in lawsuits for people struggling with the painful symptoms caused by stomach paralysis, otherwise known as gastroparesis.
As of right now, there are over 40 stomach paralysis lawsuits filed in federal court, with the plaintiffs seeking consolidation. If the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) agrees, all lawsuits could join together as a multidistrict litigation (MDL) before one judge in the District of Louisiana or Southern California.
Despite initial disagreement with consolidation, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, has agreed that consolidation is fair due to shared allegations and facts between the cases. However, Mounjaro’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly & Co., disagrees with consolidation because they have only been named the defendant in ten cases.
December 11, 2023 – Judge Denied Novo Nordisk’s Motion to Dismiss Original Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit
Novo Nordisk attempted to have a judge dismiss the initial Ozempic stomach paralysis lawsuit. The drug manufacturer filed a motion of dismissal for the lawsuit filed by Louisiana woman Jaclyn Bjorklund over stomach paralysis caused by Ozempic.
Louisiana Federal Judge James Cain Jr. presided over Novo Nordisk’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The judge denied Novo Nordisk’s motion, allowing the lawsuit to continue. He found that the plaintiff had a credible case based on Novo Nordisk’s failure to warn consumers that Ozempic causes gastrointestinal issues.
December 1, 2023 – Ozempic Lawsuit Plaintiffs File a Motion to Consolidate All Cases Into an MDL
The lawyers representing plaintiffs in Ozempic stomach paralysis lawsuits have filed a motion to consolidate all lawsuits into an MDL. An MDL is a type of mass tort that involves individual civil cases with similar defendants and allegations combined before one judge in one jurisdiction.
An MDL can help plaintiffs by streamlining discovery, permitting plaintiffs to share evidence and resources, and allowing plaintiffs to recover compensation for specific damages from a global settlement.
The lawsuits filed against manufacturers of Ozempic, Mounjaro, Trulicity, and Wegovy would likely consolidate in the Western District of Louisiana. The JPML must look at the facts of the cases and hear arguments from the plaintiffs and defendants before agreeing to consolidation.
November 18, 2023 – International Expansion of Ozempic Lawsuit Allegations
A law firm in British Columbia, Canada recently filed a lawsuit againt Ozempuc for allegedly failing to warn patients of potential side effects like gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), intestinal blockage, gallbladder issues, gallstones, and other health issues. This case is the first sign that the lawsuits against makers of semaglutide are spreading internationally.
November 17, 2023 – Potential for Ozempic Class Action MDL Lawsuit
There are talks of a possible class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly, for severe gastrointestinal problems.
October 5, 2023 – Research Letter Filed in JAMA Alleges Gastrointestinal Risks
A research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has suggested that there is an increased risk of pancreatitis, gastroparesis, and bowel obstruction in people using GLP-1 receptor agonists, like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
August 2, 2023 – The First Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit is Filed
Jaclyn Bjorklund, a 44-year-old woman from Louisiana, was the first to file an Ozempic stomach paralysis lawsuit. She used Ozempic as a weight loss drug for a year before experiencing gastrointestinal issues and switching over to Mounjaro. However, her gastroparesis symptoms continued despite the changing her medication.
Some symptoms she experienced included vomiting and severe stomach pains, which led to her requiring an emergency hospital visit. Jaclyn Bjorklund alleged that Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly failed to adequately warn users about the potential risk of harm associated with taking Ozempic and Wegovy.
September 28, 2023 – FDA Adds Intestinal Blockage to Ozempic Prescribing Information
The FDA is now requiring drugs like Ozempic to add a new waring about the risk of ileus and intestinal blockage on their prescribing information. So far 18 cases of Ozempic-related intestinal blockage in people taking Ozempic have been reported to the FDA.
In general, a multitude of gastrointestinal issues have been reported to the the FDA, including ileus by 33 people, including two deaths, caused by Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
2021 through 2022 – Over 10,000 Complaints of Serious Side Effects
More than 10,000 people reported serious side effects from Ozempic, including stomach paralysis and gallbladder issues during 2021 and 2022. But at that time, there was not yet a lawsuit against Ozampic or Mounjaro. However, studies were starting to show that there is a higher risk of gallbladder diseases related to taking Ozempic. Some individual gallbladder lawsuits started to pop up around the country.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit
The detective drug lawyers at The Russo Firm can use their experience helping victims of dangerous products to assist in your Ozempic stomach paralysis lawsuit. We understand the effect stomach paralysis can have on your health and quality of life and wish to use our expertise to put you in a position to recover compensatory damages.
Our experienced product liability lawyers can craft a legal strategy based on the particulars of your case, what information about Ozempic comes to light, and how these types of cases have gone in the past. Contact The Russo Firm’s product liability lawyers for a free case evaluation today at (561) 270-0913 for a free consultation or leave a message on our online contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Ozempic Lawsuit
Why Does Ozempic Cause Stomach Paralysis?
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, helps facilitate weight loss by slowing down stomach muscles. However, this can halt food digestion, causing it to remain in the stomach and become a hardened mass.
If the stomach does not empty out food, it can cause pressure on the stomach, which can lead to gastroparesis. Users of Ozempic who suffer stomach paralysis can experience significant symptoms, such as malnutrition, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, extreme weight loss, and abdominal pain.
Why does Ozempic cause Gallbladder issues?
Ozempic (the brand name for semaglutide) is used to treat type 2 diabetes, but more recently has been prescribed off-label to patients because of its weight loss side effects. Ozempic is a type of drug called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), which helps to lower blood sugar levels and often reduces a person’s appetite and weight. Since the drug causes rapid weight loss, it is thought to be causing gallbladder issues, such as gallstones or cholecystitis.
Rapid weight loss is well-known in the medical field to cause gallstones. This is because:
Cholesterol Imbalance: Rapid weight loss can lead to an imbalance in a person’s stomach bile, particularly an increase in cholesterol, which can cause gallstones.
Gallbladder Motility: Weight loss and a consitent reduction in caloric intake (caused by no appetite) can lead to bile remaining in the gallbladder for too long which call also contribute to the formation of gallstones.
Changes in Bile Composition: Finally, rapid weight loss can change the composition of a person’s stomach bile, which may also promote the formation of gallstones.
Even though these risks are increased, not everyone taking Ozempic will get gallstones or stomach paralysis, for that matter.
Who is Eligible to File an Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit?
Anyone who was prescribed Ozempic or another weight loss drug and suffered from gastroparesis can file a civil claim to pursue payment for losses. The defective drug can cause stomach paralysis, and drug manufacturers fail to warn consumers.
Anybody who wishes to file an Ozempic lawsuit should keep track of receipts and other documentation that prove they used the weight loss drug. This can help establish a connection between using Ozempic and suffering from gastroparesis.
Should You Hire a Product Liability Lawyer for Help With Your Ozempic Stomach Paralysis Lawsuit?
Having someone in your corner with experience handling product liability claims can help you navigate the complicated process of your Ozempic lawsuit. Hiring a lawyer can help because they can explain the complexities involved in product liability and mass tort lawsuits.
If these lawsuits consolidate, having a lawyer with class action experience will be vital to help explain how that can change your lawsuit. A product liability attorney can aid you in collecting evidence, assessing damages, handling each step of the process efficiently, and negotiating a settlement to pay for your economic and non-economic damages.
