The glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) was found to demonstrate no increased risk of suicidal ideation in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes, according to retrospective analyses of electronic health records examining these patient populations, published in Nature Medicine. Researchers’ analysis of 240,618 patients who were overweight/obese showed that those taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk (0.11%) of suicidal ideation compared with those using non-GLP-1 anti-obesity medications (0.43%). In an additional analysis of 1.5 million patients with type 2 diabetes, those taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk (0.13%) of suicidal ideation compared with patients taking other anti-diabetes medications (0.36%).
What prompted the study? A summary of the research presented in MedPage Today notes that case reports had caused recent concern among multiple European health agencies about the potential association of semaglutide and suicidal ideation. Ongoing postmarket study will inform the safety profile of these relatively new drug products.