Nurse's death linked to weight loss jab—report

The death of a nurse has been linked to a weight loss jab due to be assessed by the UK government as a way of easing pressure on the overburdened state-run National Health Service, the BBC reported.

Susan McGowan's death is believed to be the first time the drug tirzepatide, known under the brand name Mounjaro, has been officially linked to a UK fatality, the broadcaster said.

McGowan's death certificate, which the BBC said it had seen, listed multiple organ failure, septic shock, and pancreatitis as the immediate cause of death with "the use of prescribed tirzepatide" as a contributing factor.

McGowan, 58, was prescribed the drug from a registered online pharmacy but after her second injection began suffering severe stomach pains and sickness.

She sought treatment at the hospital where she worked in North Lanarkshire in central Scotland but colleagues were unable to save her, the report added.

Experts, however, cautioned about directly linking McGowan's death to the new weight-loss drug, which has undergone extensive testing to secure regulatory approval.

"Many people stand to benefit from such medicines and as sad as this individual case is, it cannot on its own overturn the vast amount of evidence that already exists," said Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow.

"Continued vigilance is needed of course and authorities will continue to gather all the evidence possible."

The British government last month announced a £279 million (P21 billion) investment by American multinational Eli Lilly that will include a five-year trial of its weight loss jab Mounjaro.

The trial will involve up to 3,000 patients including those who are obese and unemployed.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said conditions associated with obesity, which affects millions of Britons, was causing people to take an extra four sick days and placing a huge burden on the NHS.

According to government data, over a quarter, or 26.2 percent, of UK adults suffered from obesity in the year ending in 2023, up from 22.6% in 2015-2016.

A 2022 World Health Organization report showed that the UK had higher obesity rates than every EU country except Malta. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said weight loss drugs could play a key role in getting people back to work.

The public health advisory body has recommended a phased rollout of Mounjaro by the NHS, with draft plans for 250,000 people to access it in three years. (AFP)