Nurse becomes first UK death linked to NHS-approved weight-loss jab Mounjaro
8 November 2024, 12:36 | Updated: 8 November 2024, 12:57
A weight drug recently legalised in the UK contributed to the death of a 58-year-old nurse, according to a new report.
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Susan McGowan took two doses of tirzepatide, under the Mounjaro brand, in the two weeks before she died on September 4.
Her death certificate reported organ failure and septic shock as her cause of death, but included the “use of prescribed tirzepatide” as a contributing factor, according to reports.
The nurse had worked at University Hospital Monklands for more than 30 years.
Ms McGowan began taking the weight loss drug through an online prescription after researching it online.
Mounjaro can be purchased from any registered pharmacy in the UK, with a four week supply costing between £150 and £200.
The company has insisted the safety of its customers is its top priority.
A spokesperson said: “We are committed to continually monitoring, evaluating and reporting safety information for all Lilly medicines.
“Mounjaro was approved based on extensive assessment of the benefits and risks of the medicine, and we provide information about the benefits and risks of all our medicines to regulators around the world to ensure the latest information is available for prescribers.”
Hours after Ms McGowan took her second dose of the drug she began experiencing stomach pains, she died days later.
Her niece Jade told the BBC: “Susan had always carried a wee bit of extra weight but there were never any health concerns. She wasn't on any other medication. She was healthy."
“Susan was such a bubbly person. She was really generous, she was really kind and she was the life of the party - a huge personality. They said she had the biggest laugh in the hospital."
Mounjaro is one of a range of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonist. It works by making users feel full for longer.
This news comes just weeks after the government suggested it may give the drug to unemployed Brits.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that sickness caused by obesity was "holding back our economy", as he unveiled a £279 million investment from the world's biggest pharmaceutical company.
He said that the commitment by Lilly - the company that produces Mounjaro - would include the first real-world trial of the effect of weight-loss jabs on unemployment rates, productivity and reliance on healthcare.
As many as 3,000 obese patients, including a mixture of people with and without jobs, as well as some on sick leave, will take part in a five-year study to investigate if the jabs increase productivity and bring people back to work.
Mounjaro has been hailed as the "King Kong" of weight-loss jabs.
It helps to reduce appetite and curb cravings.
A previous study found people taking the drug, along with support to make changes to exercise and diet, lost an average of 21% of their bodyweight over a 36-week period.
NHS officials have suggested that the roll-out of the drug across England will need to be staggered due to anticipated high levels of demand.
Nearly a quarter-of-a-million people are expected to receive the Mounjaro jab over the next three years.
