Ozempic Lawsuit: Court Filings and Legal Analysis
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Purpose of This Page
This page provides up-to-date information on ongoing litigation involving Ozempic. Topics covered on this page include details about the nature of the lawsuit, recent court filings, and legal analysis. This page helps keep you informed about developments in the Ozempic lawsuit.
Introduction to the Ozempic Lawsuit
Lawsuits have been filed by patients who claim they experienced complications after taking Novo Nordisk’s drug, Ozempic, for weight loss or Type 2 diabetes. Some of those lawsuits claim Ozempic caused patients to suffer from gastroparesis, ileus, intestinal blockages, and other serious health concerns. Patients have also claimed that Ozempic’s manufacturer did not warn them of these risks. One of the first lawsuits about the alleged gastrointestinal risks of GLP-1s was filed in August 2023. On February 2, 2024, at least 55 lawsuits were combined into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). MDLs are meant to reduce the burden on federal district courts and speed up the process of handling multiple complex cases about similar matters.
Update Frequency
This page is updated bi-weekly with the latest filings and significant developments in the lawsuit about Ozempic and other GLP-1 products.
Recent Court Filings
October 14, 2025: New analysis by the Financial Express suggests that Novo Nordisk and another GLP-1 manufacturer may pay more than $2 billion to cover the costs of Ozempic lawsuits. Novo Nordisk and another GLP-1 manufacturer are facing thousands of lawsuits that accuse the companies of failing to warn about complications that may have been caused by Ozempic and its other GLP-1 drugs. On October 1, 2025, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said there were 2,809 active federal lawsuits pending in the MDL against Novo Nordisk and another GLP-1 manufacturer. Some legal scholars believe Novo Nordisk could end up paying even more than $2 billion in Ozempic liabilities.
May 3, 2024: The plaintiffs filed a response to the defendants’ statement in the Ozempic lawsuit. The plaintiffs’ statement gives their stance on issues raised in the defendants’ position statement, including the evidence that may support gastroparesis claims. In their statement, the plaintiffs accuse Novo Nordisk and another GLP-1 manufacturer of failing to tell patients about severe side effects that Ozempic and other GLP-1 products may allegedly cause.
April 30, 2024: Judge Pratter scheduled “Science Day” for June 14, 2024. Science Day is when the parties may discuss the medical and scientific issues relevant to the Ozempic lawsuit.
April 20, 2024: Plaintiffs and defendants begin submitting their positions to Judge Pratter. Early court documents accuse the GLP-1 manufacturers of not properly warning consumers of drug risks like gastroparesis and other stomach, intestinal, and bowel problems.
April 9, 2024: Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly file their joint position statement outlining their stance on the lawsuits about Ozempic and other GLP-1s. In the position statement, the defendants discuss the alleged benefits of Ozempic, deny wrongdoing, and outline their views on how the MDL should proceed.
April 1, 2024: There are 74 lawsuits in the MDL related to gastroparesis, ileus, intestinal blockages, and obstructions.
March 15-31, 2024: Judge Gene E.K. Pratter seeks to establish a schedule for legal proceedings and litigation leadership to manage the consolidated cases.
March 14, 2024: The first status conference is held to discuss how the Ozempic cases and other lawsuits in the MDL would be filed. On that date, 18 lawsuits were transferred into the MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with 37 other cases pending consolidation.
February 2, 2024: MDL 3094 was created to handle Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAS) Products Liability Litigation.
January 20, 2024: Plaintiffs applied to organize Ozempic/Mounjaro cases into an MDL but manufacturers were split on their responses.
Origin of the Lawsuit
The first Ozempic lawsuit was filed in August 2023 against Novo Nordisk and another GLP-1 manufacturer. The claim accused the companies of failing to warn about the risks of gastrointestinal issues from taking Ozempic and other GLP-1 products. Over the next several months, more studies were published that suggested a potential association between GLP-1 agonists and gastrointestinal complications. Meanwhile, the number of people using these medications for weight loss increased.
Evolution of the Lawsuit
Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic was approved by the FDA on December 5, 2017, with the understanding that Novo Nordisk would conduct more studies about Ozempic’s safety. At that time, the FDA approved Ozempic for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Doctors began prescribing Ozempic for off-label purposes to help patients lose weight or keep unwanted weight off. Some of the risks listed on the original Ozempic label included stomach problems. However, gastroparesis and some other side effects were not on that list.
Public reports began circulating about patients taking Ozempic or another GLP-1 product and suffering from gastroparesis and other gastrointestinal complications. Some of those patients believed that Ozempic or another GLP-1 product may have caused their conditions and that they should have been warned about the risk. Some patients taking GLP-1 products (like Ozempic) sued Novo Nordisk and the other manufacturer. So many lawsuits involving Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs were filed that a multidistrict litigation (MDL) was established to consolidate those cases into a single venue and streamline proceedings.
Legal Issues at Stake
Key legal issues in the Ozempic lawsuit include whether Novo Nordisk adequately warned consumers and physicians about the potential gastrointestinal risks associated with taking Ozempic. Some lawsuits have also accused Novo Nordisk of making misleading claims when it advertised Ozempic to patients or told prescribing healthcare providers about Ozempic, including about the drug’s potential risks and benefits.
Summary of Allegations
Plaintiffs claim that Novo Nordisk engaged in misleading marketing practices by downplaying serious risks associated with Ozempic. Plaintiffs also accuse Novo Nordisk of failing to warn about the gastrointestinal risks of Ozempic.
The Federal Lawsuit Process Explained
- Lawsuits involving the same legal matter are filed in at least two different federal district courts.
- A request is submitted to consolidate those lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation (MDL).
- The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) approves or disapproves the request to form an MDL.
- If the request is approved, the JPML decides which judge will oversee the MDL and where the MDL will be located.
- Existing cases are transferred to the MDL, and new cases are added to it.
- Pre-trial steps take place, including conducting discovery, filing motions, and holding hearings.
- From there, there are usually three options for next steps:
- The defendants file motions to dismiss some or all of the cases.
- The plaintiffs and defendants negotiate or reach a settlement.
- One or more cases are selected for bellwether trials, which help guide the rest of the cases in the MDL.
- The JPML closes the MDL once all cases are handled.
Glossary of Legal and Medical Terms
Find definitions for technical terms and jargon related to the lawsuit and Ozempic’s medical context
- Bellwether trials: A small group of MDL cases that act as test trials for attorneys to get a better sense of how they will likely be handled
- Class action lawsuit: Legal process where one or more plaintiffs file a lawsuit on behalf of a larger group of people who have a similar complaint
- Economic damages: Financial damages caused by the defendant
- Eli Lilly: Drug manufacturer of Mounjaro and other GLP-1 drugs
- Failure to warn: The manufacturer did not adequately warn the public of all potential product (drug) risks
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Federal organization responsible for protecting the public’s health and ensuring the safety of drugs, medical devices, and other consumer goods.
- Gastrointestinal problems: Medical issues related to the stomach and intestines.
- Gastroparesis: Stomach paralysis, also referred to as delayed gastric emptying, where your stomach cannot move food from the stomach to the small intestine normally
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists): A class of drugs designed to reduce blood sugar and energy intake to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity
- Ileus: Medical condition where your intestine cannot contract normally to move food and waste out of the body
- MDL 3094: Official MDL for Ozempic cases, referred to as “Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Products Liability Litigation”
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide): An injectable GLP-1 agonist medication originally approved for type 2 diabetes and later for weight loss (as Zepbound)
- Multidistrict litigation (MDL): Multiple civil lawsuits from around the country are consolidated and transferred to one federal district court to speed up and simplify the legal process.
- Non-economic damages: Subjective, non-monetary losses caused by the defendant, such as pain and suffering, distress, reputational damage, decreased quality of life, etc.
- Novo Nordisk: Global healthcare company and drug manufacturer of Ozempic
- Ozempic: An injectable GLP-1 agonist medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and now used as a weight loss drug
- Punitive damages: Additional “exemplary” damages awarded outside of compensatory damages to punish the defendant for negative behavior or negligence
- Recoverable damages: Damages plaintiffs can gain from defendants, including economic, non-economic, and punitive damages
- Rybelsus (semaglutide): A tablet-form GLP-1 agonist medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and shown to aid with weight loss
- Settlement: An agreement where the plaintiff agrees to take a certain amount of compensation in exchange for not taking the defendant to court.
- Statutes of limitations: State-specific deadlines individuals have to file a claim that differ based on claim type
- Trial verdict: If a settlement is not reached, the case will go to court, where the judge or jury issues a final verdict
- Wegovy (semaglutide): An injectable GLP-1 agonist medication used for weight management
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Read our answers to frequently asked questions for more information.