Zepbound and Ozempic Lawsuits Soar: Patients Report Being Hospitalized by Well-Known Weight-Loss Drugs
Patients claim that pharmaceutical companies neglected to warn about serious side effects such intestinal obstructions and stomach paralysis.
Patients have filed more than 2,000 lawsuits against the manufacturers of Ozempic and Zepbound, alleging that the medications resulted in harmful and occasionally irreversible health issues. As regulators update warning labels and drugmakers come under increased public scrutiny, the cases, which are consolidated in a federal court in Pennsylvania, have moved into the discovery phase.
GLP-1 medications, which include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, are at the heart of the legal issues. The plaintiffs claim that Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk did not adequately alert patients to the dangers.
Claims that patients acquired gastroparesis, sometimes known as stomach paralysis, are at the heart of the litigation. Gallbladder illness, intestinal blockage, chronic vomiting, and vision loss associated with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy were documented by other patients.
According to medical professionals, GLP-1 medications slow down the stomach’s emptying process, which could account for the gastrointestinal problems. Many patients tolerate the medications well, but some have long-lasting side effects that need hospitalization.
Litigation first centered on Ozempic and Wegovy, but since its approval in 2023, focus has switched to Zepbound. The FDA revised its safety label in February 2025 to include cautions regarding ileus, a dangerous intestinal blockage. The labels for Mounjaro and Ozempic were also altered.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk both claim their drug information conforms with federal regulations and deny any misconduct. At the same time, Novo Nordisk brought 14 of its own cases against American pharmacies that sold semaglutide compounded in ways that were not authorized.
Analysts estimate that the first test cases might not start until 2026, as the case is still under discovery with no trial dates scheduled.
