History of Ozempic
- Originally, Ozempic was not designed to be an anti-obesity drug. Instead, when semaglutide was developed, it was intended as a diabetes therapy. When Ozempic became available to the public in 2017, it was approved by the FDA for use as a drug to control the effects of diabetes.
- Less than a year after Ozempic was released, though, researchers at the University of Leeds discovered the drug could also be used to treat obesity. Just a few years later, in 2021, the FDA approved Wegovy for long-term weight management in adults who have at least one other weight-related condition.
- The drug quickly became a popular option for weight management in the United States and around the world. However, in less than a year, the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) had already received over 10,000 adverse event reports about semaglutide variants.
- Despite the large quantity of adverse event reports, semaglutide continued to be a popular weight management option for another two years. It was so popular that the FDA added it to its Drug Shortages list in 2023.
- Around this time, mainstream news outlets started reporting on the alleged side effects of Ozempic. The first lawsuits were filed shortly after that information became public.