Key Summary
- MHRA has updated guidance to flag a rare risk of severe pancreatitis with GLP-1 medicines.
- Patients and clinicians are advised to watch for severe, ongoing stomach pain, with nausea or vomiting.
- The medicines remain safe and effective for most people, and are widely used for diabetes and weight loss.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has updated the product information to include the small risk of severe acute pancreatitis in patients taking GLP-1s, prescribed for treating type 2 diabetes and weight management.
It has been listed as an infrequent side effect of taking GLP-1s, and clinicians and patients have been reminded to be alert to initial symptoms such as severe, persistent stomach pain, accompanied sometimes by nausea and vomiting.
The product information update is regarding Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 receptor agonists or dual GLP-1/ glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonists, commonly known as GLP-1s.
MHRA’s chief safety officer Alison Cave said, “The risk of developing these severe side effects is very small, but it is important that patients and healthcare professionals are aware and alert to the associated symptoms.”
She said that for a majority of patients, GLP-1s are safe and effective medicines which deliver significant health benefits.
A recent University College London research estimates that 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used GLP-1s, such as semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), between early 2024 and early 2025, to lose weight.
