Wegovy Lawsuit

Our national mass tort lawyers are currently seeking and investigating Wegovy lawsuits for individuals who used Wegovy and subsequently developed gastroparesis or related health conditions.’ This page will look at Wegovy lawsuits and their potential settlement value.

Wegovy (semaglutide) is the brand name of a prescription drug that is used for weight loss and weight management. Wegovy has been around awhile, but recent studies have found that prolonged use of this drug can significantly increase the risk of developing gastroparesis.

Until recently, the drug label for Wegovy did not contain any warning about the potential risk of gastroparesis. This has prompted a wave of product liability lawsuits alleging that the drug maker negligently failed to warn. Anyone who suffered gastroparesis after using Wegovy may be able to file a Wegovy lawsuit and get financial compensation.

Wegovy Lawsuit News & Updates

As the Wegovy lawsuits evolve, new developments are shaping the legal landscape for plaintiffs seeking compensation, which is why our law firm provides these regular updates to victims.  The Wegovy class action lawsuit is growing rapidly, with hundreds of new claims added to the multidistrict litigation (MDL). The lions’ share of these lawsuits focus on severe gastrointestinal injuries linked to Wegovy, including gastroparesis and chronic vomiting. The MDL judge is on a path to review the scientific evidence to determine whether these claims will proceed to trial.

Below are the latest updates on the Wegovy lawsuits, including new filings, legal proceedings, and settlement discussions.

March 7, 2025: In a new lawsuit filed in the MDL, a California resident alleges that Novo Nordisk failed to adequately warn about severe gastrointestinal side effects associated with its weight-loss drug, Wegovy.

The lawsuit claims that after using Wegovy from February 2023 to July 2023, the plaintiff suffered prolonged and intractable vomiting, leading to hospitalization and severe personal injuries. While Novo Nordisk acknowledges that gastrointestinal events are a known side effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists, the complaint alleges the company downplayed the severity of these risks and failed to warn about the potential for long-term vomiting.

The plaintiff seeks damages for medical expenses, pain, suffering, and emotional distress, arguing that Novo Nordisk negligently failed to provide sufficient warnings about the dangers of Wegovy.

January 6, 2025: The pace of new cases entering the Ozempic/Wegovy class action MDL slowed down just a bit in December, with just 31 cases added. This brings the total number of pending cases to 1,331. The slowdown is likely attributable to the holiday season.

Meanwhile, the judge in the Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro MDL has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for May 2025. During this hearing, the court will review scientific evidence connecting these medications to gastroparesis and other gastrointestinal injuries. While there is a possibility the judge could dismiss the lawsuits after this hearing, our legal team believes that outcome is highly unlikely.

December 4, 2024: The Ozempic/Wegovy (semaglutide) class action MDL continues to gain momentum as we head into the new year. During November, another 79 new cases were added to the MDL. That brings the current pending cases up to 1,300, making this one of the fastest growing mass torts in 2024.

November 16, 2024: A newly revised version of the master complaint form has been submitted by the plaintiffs in the Ozempic/Wegovy class action MDL. The new version of the master complaint tweaks some of the legal claims against the defendants to focus more on the connection between semaglutide drugs and gastrointestinal injuries. All new incoming plaintiffs that join the MDL will be required to use the master complaint form.

September 23, 2024: Plaintiffs in the Ozempic/Wegovy MDL are asking the judge to allow them to conduct early discovery into the marketing campaigns of the various drug manufacturers. So far, the MDL judge has only granted early discovery on issues related to federal preemption and the adequacy of the drug warning labels. The order granting that early discovery contained a footnote stating that “marketing discovery” was not included. The plaintiffs are now urging the judge to include marketing discovery because it is relevant to the issue of the warning labels.

September 5, 2024: The Ozempic/Wegovy class action MDL saw significant growth in August, with over 500 new plaintiffs joining the litigation. This surge increased the number of pending cases from 346 to 869.

August 6, 2024: The court has approved the defendants’ request for early discovery and motions on two key issues: (a) the reliability of diagnostic tests for gastroparesis, and (b) the sufficiency of the warning labels provided by the manufacturers.

Specifically, the court will assess whether gastroparesis can be reliably diagnosed without objective testing and whether the FDA-approved warning labels meet federal law standards, which could preempt state law claims.

Additionally, further briefings have been requested on a third issue—general causation—to determine whether GLP-1 receptor agonists are capable of causing the alleged injuries. A ruling on this issue has been deferred pending the submission of more information.

June 7, 2024: A recent study has identified a connection between semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a type of eye stroke that causes sudden vision loss. Semaglutide is also present in medications like Wegovy.

The study examined data from over 16,800 patients at university hospitals who were being treated for diabetes or weight management. Researchers compared patients taking semaglutide to those using medications from other drug classes. Among individuals with type 2 diabetes, 8.9% of those on semaglutide experienced NAION, a markedly higher rate compared to just 1.8% of patients on other diabetes medications.

Wegovy

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a prescription drug that’s used for weight loss in certain people who suffer from significant obesity. Wegovy comes as a liquid solution in a single dose pen that is taken by injection under the skin. Wegovy is part of a family of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.

Wegovy is manufactured by a European pharmaceutical company called Novo Nordisk, which focuses primarily on the development and sale of diabetes drugs. The active compound in Wegovy (semaglutide) was originally developed and patented by Novo Nordisk back in 2012.

Novo Nordisk has successfully gained approval from federal regulators for Wegovy, a weight management adaptation of the diabetes medication Ozempic, to serve as a preventative measure against cardiovascular diseases like strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease resulting from obesity. On March 8, 2024, the FDA announced the endorsement of Wegovy for combating cardiovascular conditions associated with obesity. The FDA recommends that the drug be administered alongside a diet with fewer calories and increased physical activity.

Studies Link Wegovy to Serious Gastrointestinal Problems

Over the past six years, a growing body of scientific research has raised concerns about the safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Wegovy (semaglutide), particularly their effects on the digestive system. Several clinical studies have linked Wegovy to an increased risk of gastroparesis, severe nausea, chronic vomiting, and other gastrointestinal conditions. Despite this, Novo Nordisk continued aggressively marketing the drug without providing adequate warnings. Below, we examine key research findings and the biological mechanisms by which Wegovy may cause these severe side effects.

Scientific Studies Connecting Wegovy to Gastroparesis and Gastrointestinal Issues

A landmark 2017 study published in Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism first highlighted the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, on gastric motility. Researchers found that these drugs significantly delayed gastric emptying, increasing the risk of gastroparesis and causing persistent nausea, bloating, and vomiting in some patients.

Concerns over gastroparesis intensified in a 2022 research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which analyzed adverse event reports submitted to the FDA. The study found that users of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Wegovy and Ozempic, had a significantly higher incidence of gastroparesis and chronic vomiting compared to patients taking other weight-loss or diabetes medications. Researchers called for additional warnings regarding these risks.

A larger October 2022 study analyzed 5,442 cases of gastrointestinal complications associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists. The findings were alarming:

• 32% of cases were classified as severe.
• 40 deaths were directly linked to gastrointestinal complications caused by these medications.
• 53 patients suffered life-threatening conditions, including intractable vomiting and severe dehydration.
• 772 patients required hospitalization for prolonged nausea, vomiting, and gastroparesis.

These studies provide compelling evidence that Wegovy may cause long-term digestive issues, leading to increased litigation against Novo Nordisk. As more Wegovy lawsuits are filed, the legal battle over whether the company adequately warned patients about these risks will be a central issue.

How Wegovy Disrupts Digestion: Biological Mechanisms

Scientists are still investigating exactly how Wegovy affects the digestive system, but current research points to three primary mechanisms:

• Delayed Gastric Emptying: A 2023 study in Nature Reviews Endocrinology confirmed that GLP-1 receptor agonists significantly slow gastric emptying. This leads to food remaining in the stomach for an extended period, causing bloating, nausea, vomiting, and, in severe cases, gastroparesis.
• Neurological Damage to the Vagus Nerve: The vagus nerve controls the contractions that push food through the digestive system. A 2019 study on vagal neuropathy found that prolonged exposure to GLP-1 receptor agonists may impair vagus nerve function, contributing to delayed digestion and gastroparesis.
• Bile Overproduction and Gallbladder Dysfunction: Some researchers believe that Wegovy increases bile secretion, leading to gallstone formation and gallbladder disease. A 2022 study in Diabetes Care linked GLP-1 receptor agonists to a significantly higher risk of gallbladder disease and cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal surgery).

These biological effects explain why so many patients who took Wegovy have reported severe digestive complications. The accumulating scientific evidence will play a crucial role in ongoing Wegovy class action lawsuits.

FDA Warnings and Regulatory Actions

Despite multiple scientific studies linking GLP-1 receptor agonists to serious digestive issues, the FDA-approved label for Wegovy did not initially include a warning about gastroparesis. This has become a central issue in Wegovy lawsuits, as plaintiffs argue that Novo Nordisk failed to disclose known risks.

In March 2022, Novo Nordisk quietly updated Wegovy’s label to include a warning about potential gallbladder disease, but it still does not mention gastroparesis. Critics argue that this omission is misleading and does not adequately inform doctors or patients of the drug’s risks.

Regulatory agencies in Europe and Canada have also expressed concerns about the gastrointestinal side effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, further fueling international scrutiny.

The Role of Scientific Evidence in Wegovy Lawsuits

As the multidistrict litigation (MDL) over Wegovy progresses, scientific studies will determine whether Novo Nordisk can be held legally liable. In May 2025, the judge overseeing the Wegovy MDL will hold an evidentiary hearing to review the admissibility of scientific research connecting the drug to gastroparesis and other gastrointestinal complications. If the evidence is deemed strong enough, it could increase the likelihood of substantial Wegovy lawsuit payouts.

As more lawsuits are filed, the medical community and legal experts closely watch how courts interpret these studies. If you have suffered gastroparesis, chronic vomiting, or other serious side effects after using Wegovy, you may have a claim. Contact our legal team today for a free case evaluation.

Gastroparesis

Most Wegovy lawsuits involve gastroparesis. This is a medical condition where the stomach’s ability to empty its contents into the small intestine is delayed without any physical blockage, disrupting normal digestion.

This condition can be caused by various factors, including diabetes, which can damage the vagus nerve controlling stomach muscles; surgeries on the stomach or digestive tract affecting nerves and muscles; certain medications like narcotics, antidepressants and this class of drugs; and other medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and hypothyroidism.

Common symptoms of gastroparesis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, early satiety, unintended weight loss, acid reflux, and erratic blood glucose levels, particularly in diabetic patients. Diagnosing gastroparesis involves tests such as gastric emptying studies, upper endoscopy, ultrasound, and blood tests to rule out other conditions and assess underlying metabolic disorders.

Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and underlying causes through dietary changes like eating smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding high-fat and high-fiber foods, medications that stimulate stomach muscle contractions or reduce nausea, and blood sugar management for diabetic patients. In severe cases, gastric electrical stimulation or surgical interventions may be considered.

Complications from untreated gastroparesis can be brutal for victims.  They include severe dehydration and malnutrition due to prolonged vomiting, bezoars (hardened masses of undigested food causing blockages), unpredictable blood sugar levels in diabetics, and a decreased quality of life from chronic symptoms.

Wegovy Gastroparesis Lawsuits

When Wegovy (and before that, Ozempic) was initially released in the U.S., the drug product information label said nothing about an increased risk of stomach issues. Doctors and patients did not know this potentially serious risk. It was not until March 2022 that Novo Nordisk formally amended the label for Wegovy to add a warning about the risk of gallbladder disease.

Individuals who used Wegovy before March 2022 when the new warning label was added and subsequently developed gallbladder problems could potentially bring a product liability lawsuit for negligent failure to warn. A growing number of Wegovy users have already filed lawsuits against Novo Nordisk for failing to warn about the risks of gastroparesis.

Wegovy Class Action Lawsuit: What You Need to Know

Many people are talking about Wegovy lawsuits use the term “Wegovy class action lawsuit.” We do ourselves. But it is important to clarify that these lawsuits are not part of a traditional class action. Instead, they have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which differs from a class action in significant ways.

Understanding the Difference Between a Class Action and an MDL

In a class action lawsuit, one or more plaintiffs file a claim on behalf of a larger group of people (the “class”) who have all suffered similar harm from the same defendant. In a true class action, all plaintiffs are treated as a single entity, and any settlement or judgment is divided equally among all class members.

By contrast, a multidistrict litigation (MDL) consolidates individual lawsuits that share common legal and factual issues. Instead of being treated as a single case, each plaintiff retains control over their own lawsuit, meaning the settlement or trial outcome for one person does not necessarily apply to others. The primary purpose of an MDL is to streamline pretrial proceedings, avoid duplicative discovery, and conduct bellwether trials to help gauge potential settlement values.

The Wegovy lawsuits have been grouped into an MDL rather than a class action because each plaintiff’s injuries and circumstances are unique. While all plaintiffs claim that Novo Nordisk failed to warn about the risks of severe gastrointestinal injuries, the degree of harm varies—some people developed mild symptoms, while others suffered permanent digestive disorders requiring hospitalization. These individual differences make a class action lawsuit impractical, so the cases have been consolidated into an MDL instead.

How the Wegovy MDL Works

All Wegovy lawsuits filed in federal courts across the country have been centralized in one court under a single judge. This process allows for a coordinated discovery phase, where both sides gather evidence, depose witnesses, and review internal documents from Novo Nordisk regarding the drug’s safety testing and marketing practices.

Once discovery is complete, the court will select a handful of cases for bellwether trials. These are early test trials that help both plaintiffs and defendants assess how juries may respond to the evidence and legal arguments. While the outcomes of bellwether trials are not binding on other cases, they often serve as a basis for settlement negotiations. If Novo Nordisk sees significant jury verdicts in favor of plaintiffs, it may be more likely to offer a Wegovy lawsuit settlement amounts that are more reasonable to resolve the remaining claims.

The Core Claim in Any Wegovy Lawsuit

Again, Wegovy claims that Novo Nordisk will focus on the company’s failure to adequately warn users and healthcare providers about the risk of gastroparesis, a condition characterized by delayed stomach emptying. Key points of the claim include:

1. Insufficient Label Warnings: The Wegovy label lists common side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. However, it does not mention that these could be symptoms of a more serious condition, gastroparesis, nor is gastroparesis itself mentioned in the “Warnings and Precautions” section.
2. Promotional Material: Novo Nordisk’s main promotional website and other marketing materials for Wegovy emphasize the drug’s benefits for weight loss and cardiovascular health but fail to disclose the risk of gastroparesis adequately.
3. Lack of Adequate Disclosure: It is claimed that Novo Nordisk did not provide sufficient warnings about the risk of gastroparesis in their advertising or promotional materials, which means that both the general public and healthcare providers were not fully informed of the potential dangers.
4. Knowledge of Risks: The company allegedly knew or should have known about the risks of gastroparesis from clinical studies, case reports, and existing medical literature. Despite this knowledge, Novo Nordisk did not update the warnings or adequately inform users and prescribing physicians.
5. Impact on Prescribing Decisions: The claim suggests that if the prescribing physician had been adequately warned about the risk of gastroparesis, they might have made different prescribing decisions, such as not prescribing Wegovy or closely monitoring for symptoms of gastroparesis.
6. Injury and Damages: As a result of using Wegovy without proper warnings about gastroparesis, the plaintiff suffered severe and permanent injuries, including physical pain, mental anguish, and the need for ongoing medical treatment and monitoring.

Legal Causes of Action in the Failure to Warn Claim

1. Negligent Failure to Warn:
   • Defendants had a duty to ensure Wegovy would not cause unreasonable harm.
   • They continued to market the drug without adequate warnings, despite knowing the risks.
   • This lack of warning led to the plaintiff suffering from gastroparesis and other severe injuries.
2. Strict Product Liability Failure to Warn:
   • Defendants had a duty to warn about the potential risks associated with Wegovy.
   • The failure to provide adequate warnings made the drug unreasonably dangerous.
   • The inadequate warnings were a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff’s injuries.

In summary, the claim asserts that Novo Nordisk failed to provide adequate warnings about the risk of gastroparesis associated with Wegovy, which led to severe injuries for the plaintiffs.

Possible Settlement Payout Value of Wegovy Lawsuits

The Wegovy lawsuits are still in their early stages, making it difficult to predict the potential Wegovy lawsuit payout with certainty. Numerous factors will impact the value of these claims, including whether scientific evidence linking Wegovy to specific health risks is deemed admissible in court. The outcome of these evidentiary battles will play a crucial role in determining the strength of the cases, particularly in the potential Wegovy class action lawsuit that may form in the coming months.

Currently, the most significant legal challenge in these cases is proving that Wegovy was the direct cause of the injuries alleged in the lawsuits. Mass tort claims often hinge on scientific evidence, and it remains unclear whether the courts will accept data linking Wegovy to adverse effects.

Despite these uncertainties, our mass tort lawyers have analyzed similar cases and can offer a preliminary estimate of potential settlement values. If the litigation progresses favorably for plaintiffs and the courts recognize the scientific evidence, we estimate that successful Wegovy lawsuits could have an average settlement range of $250,000 to $525,000. These potential settlement payouts are lower than our estimated settlement values for Ozempic cases, primarily because Wegovy was on the market for a shorter time before its updated warning label. As a result, plaintiffs in class action lawsuits against Wegovy may face challenges related to exposure time and liability.

Recent Wegovy Lawsuit

A new Wegovy case filed in late July involves a plaintiff who suffered severe injuries after using Wegovy, an injectable prescription medication for chronic weight management.

The plaintiffs are residents of Pennsylvania and have been lawfully married at all relevant times. The injured party, currently 61 years old, used Wegovy from February 2022 to March 2022 as prescribed by a physician.

As a result of using Wegovy, the plaintiff developed gastroparesis, leading to severe and permanent injuries, including pain, suffering, emotional distress, and significant medical expenses. Symptoms included abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, frequent diarrhea, and decreased bowel function.

Contact a Wegovy Gastroparesis Injury Lawyer

If you have a Wegovy lawsuit, call our Wegovy lawsuit lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or reach out to us online for a free consultation.