Poison control centres across the United States have seen a dramatic\nincrease in calls related to semaglutide, the active ingredient in\nOzempic and Wegovy, following the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA)\ndecision to expand its approval for weight management in 2021.\nOriginally prescribed as a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist\n(GLP-1RA) to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients, the drug\nworks by stimulating insulin production, suppressing glucagon release,\nand slowing gastric emptying to regulate appetite.<\/p>\n
As the popularity of these medications exploded, researchers noted a\ncorresponding rise in poisoning reports. Jordan Miller, a researcher at\nthe University of Texas (UT) San Antonio, investigated whether the surge\nwas directly linked to the FDA\u2019s expanded approval. David Han, Romo\nEndowed Professor in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at\nUT San Antonio and Miller\u2019s research mentor, stated that the sharp\nincrease in poisoning cases was likely due to misuse and mishandling of\nthe drug, potentially connected to the new weight-loss indication.<\/p>\n
Before 2021, US poison control centres typically handled 1,000 to\n1,500 GLP-1RA-related poisoning cases annually. After the FDA approved\nthe drug for obesity treatment in mid-2021, that figure nearly doubled,\nreaching 8,000 calls in 2023. While most incidents involved accidental\ndosing errors or therapeutic mistakes, the sheer scale of the increase\nsurprised the research team. Miller noted that he did not expect\nsemaglutide to dominate the data so overwhelmingly, though he\nacknowledged it made sense given the intense media spotlight on the\ndrug.<\/p>\n
The analysis, published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology and\nfeatured in Significance magazine, indicated that the FDA\u2019s approval\nmarked a clear turning point. The nature and volume of calls to poison\ncentres changed significantly as the drug\u2019s use rapidly expanded from a\ndiabetic population to a much broader group seeking weight loss. Han\nemphasised the need to measure this evidence to show the phenomenon\noriginated from the FDA approval and to determine how to minimise risks,\narguing for better public education because the drug\u2019s long-term safety\nprofile is not yet fully understood.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that many poisoning cases were preventable.\nSemaglutide is designed for once-weekly injection, with patients\nstarting on a low dose that is gradually increased. The two most common\nerrors were patients injecting the medication daily instead of weekly\nand starting directly on the highest dose rather than following the\nrecommended titration schedule. Miller and Han concluded that enhanced\neducation at every stage of the prescribing process, from the doctor\u2019s\noffice to the pharmacy counter, could help prevent many of these\nmedication errors.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/semaglutide-poisoning-cases-surge-thousands-affected-after-weight-loss-approval-1783587076", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }