Small risk of severe acute pancreatitis linked to weight‑loss jabs, MHRA says

The UK medicines regulator says there is a small risk of severe acute pancreatitis reported with GLP‑1 weight‑loss medications and has updated guidance after an increase in reports to the Yellow Card scheme.

Patients taking GLP‑1 weight‑loss medications have been linked to a small risk of severe acute pancreatitis, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said. The agency updated its guidance after an increase in reports to the Yellow Card scheme, which monitors suspected adverse reactions. Recent research estimates about 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used GLP‑1 drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide between early 2024 and early 2025. Patient information for some GLP‑1 products already lists pancreatitis as an "uncommon" reaction. Known details: - The MHRA updated its guidance following a rise in reports of acute and chronic pancreatitis to the Yellow Card scheme. - There have been 1,143 reports linked to semaglutide and tirzepatide, including 17 reported fatalities; most (973) were logged in 2025, with 807 reports involving tirzepatide and 166 involving semaglutide. - Patient leaflets for medicines such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro list pancreatitis as an "uncommon" side effect, affecting about one in 100 patients according to those documents. - The MHRA and Genomics England have recruited patients to the Yellow Card Biobank study to investigate whether genetic factors influence the risk of an inflamed pancreas. Summary: The MHRA describes the risk of severe pancreatitis with GLP‑1 medicines as small but has highlighted the recent increase in reports and updated guidance. The regulator continues routine safety monitoring and has launched a genomic study to explore potential individual risk factors. Further analysis and ongoing reporting to the Yellow Card scheme are expected.