The medicines regulator has added two new safety warnings around mental health and contraception for people taking high profile diabetes and weight loss drugs.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) says because suicidal behaviour and ideation have been reported with these relatively new GLP-1 receptor agonists, doctors should “monitor patients for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviours, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behaviour”.
This warning around the potential risk of suicidal thoughts applies across the GLP-1 RA class of medicines including Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Trulicity and Mounjaro.
The TGA has also issued a separate warning around Mounjaro and contraception.
After investigating the potential reduced effectiveness of oral contraception when first taking or increasing the dose of Mounjaro, the TGA said it could not rule out an association.
As a precautionary measure, they have updated the product warnings for Mounjaro to include further advice for patients using oral contraceptives to switch to a non-oral contraceptive or add a barrier method of contraception for four weeks after first taking the medicine and for four weeks after each increase in the dose.
They add that none of the GLP-1 RA class of medicine should be used during pregnancy.
