A 58-year-old nurse who took two doses of a weight-loss injection died shortly after and her death has been linked to the jab, reports the BBC. Susan McGowan, 58, took two low-dose injections of tirzepatide over two weeks shortly before her death on September 4 this year.
Her death certificate, seen by the BBC, lists tirzepatide as a contributing factor to Ms McGowan’s death, alongside multiple organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis. The BBC says it is the first death in the UK officially linked to the drug – which has recently been approved for use on the NHS.
Ms McGowan bought the drug through a registered online pharmacy. Shortly after having the second jab she began to have severe stomach pains and sickness.
She went to A&E but could not be saved. Her kidneys failed, followed by the rest of her internal organs, and she slipped into a coma.
The drug, which sells for between £150 and £200, works by making people feel fuller for longer. NHS data shows 208 people have reported reactions to tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro, with 31 serious reactions. There are also reports a man in his 60s died after taking the drug.
23 other deaths have been linked to drugs now used for weight loss in the UK since 2019 – but this is the first time a death has been officially connected.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, told the BBC: “Our sincere sympathies are with the family of the 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.”
Mounjaro manufacturer Lilly told the BBC: “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.”