Nurse’s Death Linked to Approved Weight-Loss Medication

A nurse from North Lanarkshire has died, with her death being associated with a weight-loss medication that recently received approval for NHS use. Susan McGowan, aged 58, received two low-dose injections of tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro, across approximately a fortnight prior to her passing on September 4. Her death certificate, which the BBC has reviewed, cites multiple organ failure, septic shock, and pancreatitis as the direct causes of death; however, “the use of prescribed tirzepatide” is additionally noted as a contributing element. This is believed to be the initial death officially connected to the medication within the UK. Ms. McGowan was employed as a nurse at University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie for over three decades. The well-regarded bed manager frequently spoke with close acquaintances about her efforts to lose weight, yet the introduction of novel weight-loss injections appeared to present improved prospects for achieving her goals. Following her research into Mounjaro and consultation with medical professionals, she obtained a prescription through a registered online pharmacy. A four-week supply of the medication generally ranges from £150 to £200 and is available for purchase from any registered pharmacy across the UK. Within days of her second injection, she started suffering from intense stomach pains and nausea, leading her to attend A&E at Monklands, where her co-workers made efforts to preserve her life. Jade Campbell, Ms. McGowan’s niece, was present at the time of her death. She stated: “Susan had always carried a wee bit of extra weight but there were never any health concerns. She wasn’t on any other medication. She was healthy.” “Susan was such a bubbly person. She was really generous, she was really kind and she was the life of the party – a huge personality. They said she had the biggest laugh in the hospital.” Doctors informed Ms. Campbell that her aunt’s kidneys were not operating correctly. Several days afterward, she entered a coma, and her organs commenced failing. “It was so quick,” she said. “I still find myself thinking, ‘has that actually happened?’” Tirzepatide belongs to a class of weight-loss medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which function by promoting a prolonged sensation of fullness in patients. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted approval for its use as a weight-loss treatment in the UK in 2023. This approval encompassed NHS usage, though the medication is presently prescribed by the NHS to only a limited number of individuals because of considerations such as cost and supply. The MHRA operates the yellow card scheme, which allows any member of the public or healthcare professional to submit reports of suspected adverse drug reactions. Publicly accessible data extends only to May of the current year, yet from January to May 2024, the yellow card scheme recorded 208 reports concerning tirzepatide, comprising 31 severe reactions and one suspected fatality involving a man in his sixties. Ms. McGowan’s passing occurred too recently to be included in this dataset. Dr. Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, stated that novel medications, including tirzepatide, undergo more rigorous monitoring to guarantee that any emerging safety concerns are identified without delay. She commented: “Our sincere sympathies are with the family of individual concerned. Patient safety is our top priority and no medicine would be approved unless it met our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.” “We have robust, safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products.” “On the basis of the current evidence the benefits of GLP-1 RAs outweigh the potential risks when used for the licensed indications.” Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, affirmed that patient safety stands as the company’s foremost concern. A spokesperson declared: “We are committed to continually monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety information for all Lilly medicines.” “Mounjaro was approved based on extensive assessment of the benefits and risks of the medicine, and we provide information about the benefits and risks of all our medicines to regulators around the world to ensure the latest information is available for prescribers.” Semaglutide, recognized under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, are likewise GLP-1 receptor agonists. Since 2019, the yellow card scheme in the UK has recorded 23 suspected fatalities associated with semaglutide. These medications have successfully completed the clinical trials required for approval in the UK and have received a cautious endorsement from professionals engaged in combating obesity. Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow and chair of the UK government’s obesity mission, commented that determining “cause and effect” is challenging in individual instances where patients pass away following drug administration. He stated: “Trials are very robust in trying to establish safety, that the drugs generally have substantial benefits that outweigh the risks.“ “There’s enough evidence available that these drugs have strong meaningful weight loss, that the side effect profiles are generally ok for the vast majority of individuals.“ “The reality is we have a big need to help many people living with extreme levels of high BMI to help lose weight with these drugs that will give multiple benefits and for many years we haven’t had such tools. There are many individuals, roughly speaking one in four to one in five adults living in the UK, who could benefit from these drugs.” Tirzepatide recently became a topic of national discussion following the UK government’s announcement of plans to introduce it to unemployed individuals as a means to assist their return to employment. The government is collaborating with Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, on a five-year research project that will include as many as 3,000 participants. Concurrently, NHS England has put forward proposals for an assessment of the drug, expected to involve almost 250,000 individuals. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has lauded these injections as “game-changing”. However, Ms. Campbell holds the view that this is not the appropriate moment and expresses hope that the UK government will re-evaluate its decision. She remarked: “I think anything that’s backed by the government, you would trust. I would ask you to speak to your GP about things like this first, there might be another option for you to consider before you jump on the weight-loss injections.” BBC News inquired with the department of health and social care regarding whether it would reassess its decision in light of Ms. McGowan’s death. The UK government chose not to provide a comment. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. 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