The Food and Drug Administration said it wants suicide warnings to be taken off some popular weight-loss medications following a comprehensive safety review.
The affected products include Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Saxenda.
The request follows an FDA review that found no increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior with the use of the GLP-1 medications. The agency said the labeling is "based on reports of such events observed with a variety of older medicines used or studied for weight loss."
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GLP-1 drugs were first approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, but they have gained in popularity since being approved for obesity in recent years. The medications work by mimicking hormones that regulate blood sugar and slow digestion, leading to significant weight loss in many patients.
The FDA's decision to recommend removing the suicide warnings represents a significant development for these blockbuster drugs, which have become increasingly prescribed for weight management.
The safety review analyzed data from clinical trials and post-market surveillance to reach this conclusion, according to the FDA.
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