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Health minister Karin Smyth has revealed that more than 500 people have been hospitalised following their use of glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) indicated for weight management.
In a parliamentary answer, published on 7 March 2025, Smyth revealed the figure using data collected from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) adverse event Yellow Card reporting.
“From the point of licensing up to and including 31 January 2025, the MHRA has received 573 Yellow Card reports for GLP-1 RAs indicated for weight management where the patient was reported to have been hospitalised,” she said.
“As the use of the GLP-1 RAs increases, so have the number of Yellow Card reports associated with these medicines. Yellow Card reporting rates can be influenced by many factors, including the seriousness of the adverse drug reactions, their ease of recognition and the extent of the use of a particular product. Reporting can also be stimulated by publicity and awareness of a product.”
The MHRA told The Pharmaceutical Journal that as of 31 January 2025, it had received a total of 20,160 UK reports of suspected reactions in association with GLP-1 RAs indicated for weight management.
In a drug safety update, published in October 2024, the MHRA reported that it had received 7,228 reports of common gastrointestinal reactions associated with GLP-1 RAs indicated for weight management, of which 68 reports concerned patient hospitalisation.
The MHRA confirmed to The Pharmaceutical Journal that the 68 reports of hospitalisations in October 2024 were for weight management indications only, whereas the 573 figure comprises weight management indications, as well as instances where weight management and diabetes indications have been reported together.
Yellow Card data that are publicly available on the MHRA website do not give details on the number of patients admitted to hospital.
Commenting on the figures, Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, said: “New medicines, such as GLP-1 RAs, are more intensively monitored to ensure that any new safety issues are identified promptly [but] it is important to note that a reaction reported to the Yellow Card scheme does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have. Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, or the events could be coincidental.
“On the basis of the current evidence, the benefits of GLP-1 RAs outweigh the potential risks when used for the licensed indications. The decision to start, continue or stop treatments should be made jointly by patients and their doctor, based on full consideration of the benefits and risks.
“Patient safety is our top priority and no medicine would be approved unless it met our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. We strongly encourage patients and healthcare professionals to continue reporting suspected side effects to GLP-1 RAs through our Yellow Card scheme.”
In October 2024, NHS England said the GLP-1 RA tirzepatide could be used to treat 1.6 million people for obesity by 2036.
In addition, in September 2023, GLP-1 RA treatment semaglutide was launched for weight management in the UK.
The MHRA said all known side effects associated with GLP-1 RAs are listed in the patient information leaflets and summary of product characteristics that can be found on the MHRA Products website.
