UK Regulator Warns of Pancreatitis Risk with Popular Weight-Loss Drugs

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a strengthened safety alert concerning rare but serious cases of acute pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. These widely prescribed drugs, which include popular brands such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, are used in the UK for weight loss and diabetes management.

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The MHRA is urgently advising both patients and clinicians to be vigilant for symptoms like severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. This update is particularly critical due to the increasing number of GLP-1 prescriptions, though regulators maintain the overall risk remains low and the drugs are generally safe and effective when prescribed appropriately.

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The updated guidance follows an increase in reports of pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 medicines via the Yellow Card scheme. Early recognition and urgent medical review are essential. Acute pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas often requiring hospitalisation, typically presents with severe upper abdominal pain (potentially radiating to the back), persistent nausea or vomiting, and fever. With an estimated 1.6 million adults in England, Wales, and Scotland using these injections between 2024 and 2025, continuous monitoring is crucial. The UK’s Yellow Card scheme has recorded almost 1,300 suspected cases of pancreatitis linked to GLP-1 and dual agonists between 2007 and October 2025. While reporting does not prove causation, it underscores the need for ongoing evaluation, though deaths directly attributable to the drugs remain very rare.

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For both patients and healthcare professionals, awareness of these rare side effects is essential, as pancreatitis is classified as an uncommon side effect in product information. The alert reinforces the importance of safe prescribing practices, careful patient selection, and close monitoring for clinicians, who should also discuss common side effects like nausea and vomiting that can lead to severe dehydration. The MHRA is also collaborating with Genomics England on the Yellow Card Biobank project to investigate whether genetic factors influence susceptibility to adverse reactions, with the aim of tailoring future personalised medicine strategies. Pharmaceutical companies have reaffirmed that patient safety is a priority and stressed that the benefit-risk profile of these medicines remains positive for most patients under appropriate medical supervision.