Lawsuit Over Mounjaro Intestinal Obstructions, Gastroparesis Diagnosis Filed Against Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly faces a product liability lawsuit brought by a New York woman, which indicates that the gastroparesis side effects of Mounjaro caused her to develop intestinal obstructions, severe sepsis and other complications, which resulted in the need for multiple surgeries and left her with permanent injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Melissa Wrubel in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 1, indicating that Eli Lilly failed to provide adequate warnings, for users or the medical community, about the risk that Mounjaro may cause gastroparesis, also known as stomach paralysis, which led to a cascade of injuries.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) was introduced in 2022 as part of a new generation of treatments for diabetes, which is a chronic and progressive condition that causes insulin resistance and insufficiency. It is part of the same class of new drugs as Ozempic (semaglutide), known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. and both medications have been widely prescribed “off-label” for weight loss, given the positive effect they have helping to reduce hunger, decease food intake and promote feelings of fullness.

Given the popularity of Mounjaro for weight loss, Eli Lilly recently obtained approval to market another version of tirzepatide under the brand name Zepbound, which is specifically approved for use as a diet drug.

Although advertisements promote the drugs as safe and effective, with few long-term side effects, former users are now pursuing Mounjaro lawsuits, Ozempic lawsuits and Wegovy lawsuits against the manufacturers, each raising similar allegations that the widespread use of the drugs has made it clear that the drug label fails to adequately warn about the risk of severe and long-lasting gastroparesis side effects.

According to the Mounjaro intestinal obstruction lawsuit, Wrubel was prescribed the diabetes drug in August 2022, and she continued to administer the injector pens until at least December of that year.

“As a result of using Defendant’s Mounjaro, Plaintiff was caused to suffer from severe and permanent personal injuries, including a high-grade large bowel obstruction, adhesions to the small intestines, toxic megacolon, and severe sepsis, resulting in the emergency resection of significant portions of both her large and small intestines, as well as a total colectomy and the implementation of a colostomy bag,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiff has also suffered additional complications, including severe vomiting, acute stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning, abdominal bloating, hospitalization for stomach issues on several occasions including visits to the emergency room, and the requirement of additional medications to alleviate her severe nausea and vomiting. To date, Plaintiff continues to suffer from nausea, constipation, and other digestive issues, such as an inability to process foods.”

Although the drug maker was aware of reports involving gastroparesis and intestinal obstructions from Mounjaro, the lawsuit indicates the manufacturer withheld information from Wrubel and other users, due to a lack of adequate Mounjaro label warnings.

Mounjaro Gastroparesis Risks

Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic and Wegovy all work by delaying gastric emptying, which makes the user feel full longer and less hungry. However, a growing number of reports suggest that these side effects can cause gastroparesis for some users, slowing gastric emptying to the extent that it results in stomach paralysis.

In 2017, researchers with the Mayo Clinic conducted a study involving a similar diabetes medication known as Victoza, which found that the drug caused significantly slower digestion in users, taking about 70 minutes for half the food they ate to leave their stomachs, compared to four minutes for people who did not take the drug. However, the study found that people’s bodies tended to adjust over time.

In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new label warnings for Ozempic, indicating that it can increase the risk of intestinal blockages. The warning links Ozempic to a condition known as ileus, which can cause abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation, difficulty passing gas and difficulty eating.

February 2024 Mounjaro Lawsuit Update

Wrubel’s lawsuit comes as a growing number of similar complaints are being filed in U.S. District Courts nationwide, each describing similar circumstances where users experienced permanent injuries from gastroparesis caused by Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro side effects.

Her lawsuit was filed just a day before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) ordered the creation of a GLP-1 drug multidistrict litigation, assigned to U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for coordinated pretrial proceedings.

Although a number of individual plaintiffs joined Eli Lilly in requesting that Mounjaro lawsuits be handled separately from the Ozempic and Wegovy lawsuits, the JPML disagreed and determined that it was appropriate to consolidate all GLP1 claims as part of one MDL proceeding.

Now that a MDL has been established,  Wrubel’s lawsuit will be transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. However, if the parties fail to negotiate Mounjaro settlements for gastroparesis injuries during the MDL proceedings, each individual claim may later be remanded back to the U.S. District Court where it was originally filed for trial.