Novo Nordisk Faces Over 3,063 Legal Cases for its Ozempic Drug Causing Stomach Paralysis
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 13, 2026 2 hours, 5 minutes ago
Pharma News: Mounting Legal Pressure Over Ozempic
Novo Nordisk is facing an escalating legal firestorm as thousands of patients nationwide in America file claims alleging that the blockbuster diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic causes severe gastrointestinal injuries including stomach paralysis. Court records now indicate more than 3,063 cases are already consolidated in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) alongside lawsuits targeting other GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, and Mounjaro. Additional suits focused specifically on vision injuries linked to NAION are ballooning independently outside the MDL.
Ozempic faces thousands of lawsuits alleging stomach paralysis from long-term use
From Diabetes Treatment to National Controversy
Approved in 2017 for type 2 diabetes, Ozempic quickly became a household name thanks to splashy advertising and social buzz touting dramatic weight loss effects. Although never approved for weight control, demand surged through 2023 and 2024, even causing shortages. By the end of 2021, more than 10,000 adverse reports tied to the drug had been filed, most commonly gallbladder complications. But a far more alarming issue soon emerged: gastroparesis, also known as stomach paralysis.
Growing Evidence of Serious Side Effects
Semaglutide, the active agent in Ozempic, mimics GLP-1 hormones to keep blood sugar stable. However, the same mechanism slows gastric emptying, which can produce long-term digestive disruption.
Research dating back to 2020 linked GLP-1 drugs to worsening motility disorders, severe vomiting, prolonged stomach retention of food and sudden weight loss caused by early satiety.
Cleveland Clinic data suggest uncontrolled diabetes already accounts for around one-third of gastroparesis cases—raising red flags when combined with drugs that slow digestion even further.
Users reported:
-Persistent nausea and painful bloating
-Intense reflux and cyclic vomiting
-Hospitalization for dehydration and bowel obstruction
-Abdominal pain lasting weeks or months
Despite this, labels initially omitted warnings referencing gastroparesis, and even after gallbladder risk language was updated in 2022, stomach paralysis remained absent.
First Lawsuits Trigger Wave of Claims
The first case was filed in Louisiana in August 2023 by a woman forced into repeated hospitalization after months on Ozempic followed by Mounjaro. Her complaint alleges Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly withheld crucial safety information, failed to alert prescribers, and placed consumers at avoidable risk. Since then, claims have poured in across the country, accelerating from 2,947 filings in December 2025 to more than 3,097 in early January 2026.
Rising Scrutiny and What Lies Ahead
Plaintiffs argue that had manufacturers been transparent, patients and physicians could have made safer treatment decisions. Lawyers note that relief could range from medical rei
mbursement and lost income to payments for permanent disability. Analysts observe that MDL growth typically precedes major settlement negotiations once bellwether trials define liability exposure. This
Pharma News report underscores how rapidly Ozempic has shifted from celebrated therapy to legal flashpoint, and attorneys expect thousands more filings as public awareness spreads and long-term users become symptomatic.
Wider Implications and What Patients Should Know
The surge in litigation marks a turning point for weight-loss pharmacotherapy. Ozempic’s runaway popularity—fueled by celebrity endorsement and off-label prescribing—reveals how drugs with profound metabolic effects can generate unintended consequences at population scale. Patients with persistent nausea, unexplained digestive pain or repeated vomiting after GLP-1 use are urged to seek clinical evaluation and legal guidance, especially if emergency treatment or hospitalization occurred. The unfolding MDL will likely reshape labeling, prescribing practices, and marketing across the entire class, forcing manufacturers to balance commercial success with transparent safety communication. The outcomes may influence physician trust, regulatory oversight and patient confidence in emerging medical innovations for years to come.
Reference:
https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/ozempic-naion-gastroparesis-lawsuit.html
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