A small number of people have attributed suicidal ideation to semaglutide, the ingredient in several popular weight-loss drugs. Health agencies in the US and Europe have disassociated it.
The FDA said in a statement that it “cannot definitively rule out that a small risk may exist” and that it would continue to study the issue. A Nature Medicine study in January found that people taking semagLutide were up to 73% less likely to have suicidal thoughts than those taking other weight loss or diabetes medications. The company that makes the drugs says it ‘stands behind the safety and effectiveness’ of its GLP-1 medications when used correctly and under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional. It will continue to monitor reports of adverse reactions, including suicide and suicidal thoughts, the company said in an email to NBC News. The drug is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy in the U.S. and in Europe.