The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued an alert urging women using weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro to use effective contraception after receiving multiple reports of pregnancies among users,
The alert follows 40 reports of pregnancy in women taking these weight-loss drugs, prompting the MHRA to warn that Mounjaro, in particular, may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
The agency advises that women taking this drug use barrier contraception, such as condoms, in addition to oral contraceptives, according to The Guardian.
The MHRA received 26 pregnancy-related reports concerning Mounjaro and an additional eight reports linked to semaglutide-based drugs (Ozempic and Wegovy).
Another weight-loss medication, Saxenda, which contains liraglutide, also garnered nine reports.
While it’s unclear whether the pregnancies were unintended, some women confirmed their pregnancies were unplanned, as reported by The Guardian.
The MHRA has emphasised that these medications should not be used during pregnancy or while trying to conceive due to insufficient safety data regarding potential harm to a developing baby.
Women taking these drugs are also advised to continue contraception for up to two months after stopping the medication before attempting to become pregnant, as noted by the health agency.