The European Medicines Agency has issued a warning that individuals taking weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound should inform their doctors prior to undergoing surgery. This comes as the agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) suggested new measures to mitigate the risk of respiratory complications during surgery for patients on GLP-1 treatments.
GLP-1 drugs are a type of diabetes and weight loss medication that mimic a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar and suppressing appetite. Leading manufacturers of these medications include Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound.
The PRAC noted that patients on GLP-1 drugs are at risk of aspiration and pneumonia aspiration, conditions that can occur when food or liquids are inhaled rather than swallowed properly, during anesthesia and deep sedation. These complications can also arise when stomach contents move back up to the throat.
The committee indicated that aspiration and pneumonia aspiration affect between one in 900 to one in 10,000 general anesthesia procedures. Since GLP-1 drugs delay stomach emptying, there may still be food present in the stomach even after fasting the night before surgery, posing an increased risk for aspiration.
Although the committee could not establish a direct causal link between GLP-1 drugs and aspiration, they recommend that healthcare professionals consider the effects of these medications when planning anesthesia. As a precaution, the product information for these drugs will be updated to include a warning about this potential risk.
Morgan Stanley analysts predict that the global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030, an increase from a previous estimate of $77 billion. The investment bank also expects the adoption of these drugs in the U.S. to encompass approximately 31.5 million people, or about 9% of the population, by 2035.