Approved weight-loss drug contributed to UK nurse’s death, report says | Health

A weight-loss drug recently approved for use on the NHS contributed to the death of a 58-year-old nurse from North Lanarkshire, according to a report.

Susan McGowan took two low-dose injections of tirzepatide, under the Mounjaro brand, over the space of a fortnight before she died on 4 September, the BBC reported.

Her death certificate, seen by the broadcaster, lists multiple organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis as the immediate cause of death – but “the use of prescribed tirzepatide” is recorded as a contributing factor.

McGowan worked as a nurse at University Hospital Monklands, in Airdrie, for more than 30 years.

According to the BBC, McGowan bought a Mounjaro prescription via an online pharmacy after researching the drug and seeking medical advice.

The drug costs £150-£200 for a four-week supply and can be bought from any registered pharmacy in the UK.

McGowan started to experience severe stomach pains and sickness after her second injection so went to accident and emergency at Monklands where her colleagues tried to save her.

The Mounjaro manufacturer, Lilly, said patient safety was the company’s top priority.

A spokesperson told the BBC: “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.”

Tirzepatide was approved for use as a weight-loss aid in the UK in 2023 by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, told the BBC: “Our sincere sympathies are with the family of the individual concerned. Patient safety is our top priority and no medicine would be approved unless it met our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

“We have robust safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products. On the basis of the current evidence, the benefits of GLP-1 RAs [the class of medications that includes Mounjaro] outweigh the potential risks when used for the licensed indications.”

Ministers recently announced plans to potentially roll out tirzepatide to unemployed people to hep them return to work. It is partnering with Lilly to run a five-year trial in Greater Manchester where 3,000 people are expected to receive the jab.

Jade Campbell, McGowan’s niece, who was with her when she died, told the BBC she believed it was not the right time for the trial and hoped the UK government would reconsider the decision.