MHRA issues safety alert on weight-loss jabs and risk of severe pancreatitis

The medicines regulator has issued updated guidance urging doctors to be vigilant for the signs of severe acute pancreatitis associated with weight-loss jabs, and to counsel patients on the symptoms to look out for.

While still a small risk, the side effect can be particularly serious in some cases, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.

Patients should contact a doctor urgently if they are taking a GLP-1 medicine such as semaglutide (Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and have of the condition, the MHRA update advised.

Between 2007 and October 2025, the MHRA has received 1,296 Yellow Card reports of pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists.

In a drug safety update, the MHRA warned clinicians and patients to be alert to initial symptoms such as severe, persistent stomach pain that may radiate to the back and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

There have been rare reports of necrotising and fatal pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists, the alert continued.

It also reminded doctors to ask about weight-loss medication use in patients presenting with these symptoms because if they have been prescribed them privately, they may not be included in their medical records.

If pancreatitis is suspected, treatment with the GLP-1 must be discontinued immediately and if confirmed should not be restarted, the guidance added.

Research recently published by University College London estimated that 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used GLP-1 drugs between early 2024 and early 2025, to lose weight.

Alison Cave, MHRA’s chief safety officer, said: ‘Patient safety is the MHRA’s top priority and we continually monitor the safety and efficacy of all licensed medicines.

‘For the vast majority of patients who are prescribed GLP-1s, they are safe and effective medicines which deliver significant health benefits.

‘The risk of developing these severe side effects is very small, but it is important that patients and healthcare professionals are aware and alert to the associated symptoms.

‘If you, or someone you care for, is taking GLP-1s and you notice symptoms such as severe, persistent stomach pain that may radiate to the back and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, then we advise you speak to a healthcare professional and report it via our Yellow Card scheme.’

The Yellow Card Biobank, a collaboration between the MHRA and Genomics England, has recruited patients taking GLP-1s to investigate whether the risk of an inflamed pancreas may be influenced by an individual’s genes.

It is hoped the research will help to predict which patients may be most at risk of adverse reactions and prescribe the safest medicines accordingly, the agency said. 

It comes as a survey by a medical defence organisation showed vast numbers of GPs worried about patients accessing GLP-1 medication privately despite not meeting prescribing criteria.