Ozempic and Wegovy might be safe for patients with pancreatitis Fewer people taking semaglutide suffered a pancreatitis attack, compared to those on other drugs or no meds at all This runs counter to the drug’s warning label, which says it could worsen pancreatitis MONDAY, June 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Ozempic and Wegovy might help lower the risk of pancreatitis in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, a new study says. Up to now, doctors have been cautious about prescribing semaglutide to patients with a history of pancreatitis, because they feared the drug could worsen the condition, said lead researcher Dr. Mahmoud Nassar , a fellow in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at the University of Buffalo in New York.
In fact, the drug’s prescribing information even warns about this potential side effect, Nassar noted. “Our research highlights the safety and the potential for GLP-1 receptor agonists [like semaglutide] to reduce the risk of acute pancreatitis recurrence in individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes, challenging previous concerns and offering new hope for effective disease management,” Nassar said. For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 638,000 patients with a history of pancreatitis.
The patients were located across 15 countries, but they were mainly from the United States. Researchers tracked how many patients developed pancreatitis again within 15 years of starting either semaglutide or other drugs for diabetes and obesity. .