No less than 35 circumstances of unintended effects, together with two critical ones, have been reported inside a month of weight reduction drug Mounjaro’s launch in Korea, elevating security considerations amid surging demand.
In accordance with information obtained by Rep. Search engine marketing Mi-hwa of the ruling Democratic Get together of Korea from the Korea Institute of Drug Security and Danger Administration, the circumstances have been reported between August and September, following the native rollout of Mounjaro, whose energetic ingredient is tirzepatide.
Well being officers mentioned two of the 35 reported circumstances met the edge for a critical response, with signs reminiscent of diarrhea and hypoglycemic shock. Beneath Korean drug security rules, critical hostile occasions are outlined as people who result in loss of life, are life-threatening, require hospitalization or produce everlasting impairment.
Fifteen circumstances concerned girls and 4 concerned males, whereas the gender of the remaining 16 sufferers was not reported. Seven circumstances have been reported amongst folks between the ages of 19 and 65, with no age information given for the others. Widespread unintended effects linked to tirzepatide embrace gastrointestinal misery, belly ache, indigestion, muscle ache and injection web site bleeding.
Mounjaro, developed by Eli Lilly, targets each GLP-1 and GIP receptors to boost insulin secretion, enhance blood sugar management and scale back urge for food. Regardless of its effectiveness for weight problems and diabetes, security considerations and potential misuse proceed to attract scrutiny as use of weight reduction medicine soars nationwide.
Search engine marketing urged regulators to tighten monitoring of deceptive ads and to carefully analyze reported unintended effects. The state-run drug security company famous that reported circumstances don’t essentially show a causal relationship with the drug.
Eli Lilly Korea mentioned it has “faithfully reported all security data” and can “proceed to cooperate with authorities to make sure the drugs’s protected and applicable use.”
The report comes amid Korea’s fast-growing weight reduction drug market and lingering considerations over long-term security.
In accordance with the Well being Insurance coverage Evaluate & Evaluation Service, there have been greater than 1.14 million weight reduction drug prescriptions within the first half of this yr — roughly one for each 50 Koreans — with the annual determine anticipated to surpass 2 million, up from 1.8 million final yr.
