Ozempic, an FDA-approved diabetes medication, contains semaglutide. Besides treating and managing type 2 diabetes, it’s also commonly used as a weight loss drug.
However, semaglutide drugs might not be as safe as initially thought. Thousands of plaintiffs nationwide have filed Ozempic lawsuits against Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, and other pharmaceutical companies behind similar medications.
The lawsuits allege that Ozempic and similar medications have caused various severe health conditions, including gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), a permanent, severe health condition where stomach muscles weaken, causing other health complications. Also, the claimants argue that Novo Nordisk didn’t adequately warn the public about the potential health complications of using these drugs.
If you suffered severe health risks after using Ozempic and similar medications, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to learn if you qualify to file a lawsuit and recover financial compensation.
Ozempic Lawsuit Update: What’s New in July 2025?
As of July 11, 2025, there are 1,997 active cases in the GLP-1 RAS (Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists) Product Liability Litigation (MDL 3094) against Ozempic’s maker, Novo Nordisk, and other manufacturers that sell common weight loss medications. By the end of the month, there are likely to be over 2,000 active legal claims against these defendants. The GLP-1 MDL is rapidly expanding in size, and this MDL has the potential to become one of the largest multidistrict litigation in the country.
In June 2025, 21 claimants requested that their legal claims be consolidated through a multicounty litigation (MCL). An MCL is a legal proceeding where personal injury lawsuits stemming from a single event or product are merged for coordinated handling and centralized management. This legal approach streamlines the legal proceedings, ensuring consistency in how similar lawsuits are addressed.
If the courts approve this request, these claimants will file a group lawsuit against Novo Nordisk. Additionally, if the merger proceeds, individuals who used Ozempic and developed nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare eye problem, will have new legal options. Those who developed other injuries after using Ozempic can still join this federal group litigation.
Overview of the Ozempic Legal Battle
As of July 11, 2025, 1,997 lawsuits remain pending in MDL 3094 in the state of Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs in these Novo Nordisk lawsuits allege they developed ileus, gastroparesis, and intestinal obstruction or blockage after taking Ozempic and other semaglutide medications.
Ozempic lawsuits claim that Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, Ozempic manufacturers, didn’t adequately warn patients and doctors about the severe health risks, like bowel blockage, stomach paralysis, and related digestive problems, linked to ozempic side effects.
Additionally, these lawsuits claim that pharmaceutical companies downplayed and even omitted vital details on the warning labels, resulting in unexpected, life-threatening risks for patients.
As a result, the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the diabetes drug legal claims into MDL 3094 in Pennsylvania courts to manage the increasing number of lawsuits efficiently.
Judge Karen Marston is currently presiding over the Ozempic MDL. Judge Marston took over after the sudden passing of Judge Gene Pratter.
The Ozempic side effect lawsuits are gaining momentum as more plaintiffs are reporting additional medical complications, including NAION and even fatal consequences.
If new scientific evidence and research related to Ozempic effects are admitted in court, it may widen the scope of health injuries considered in weight loss drug litigation.
If you took Ozempic or other semaglutide drugs under the GLP-1 class and later developed health issues, you might qualify to file a Novo Nordisk lawsuit and recover financial compensation.
Key Allegations Against Novo Nordisk
Doctors have often prescribed Ozempic to individuals with type 2 diabetes. But things changed in 2021, when The New England Journal of Medicine published a scientific study that established that semaglutide medications cause weight loss. On average, people lost 15% of their body weight after taking these drugs. This study confirmed what many healthcare providers knew: off-label prescriptions of Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs as weight loss medications were prevalent.
Additionally, after the FDA approved Wegovy, a semaglutide medication used for weight loss, sales of these drugs skyrocketed. The increase in popularity was attributed to aggressive marketing campaigns that targeted digital influencers to promote the drug’s effectiveness for weight loss.
Sadly, the drug’s popularity came with several health risks.
But despite the severe health risks, including gastrointestinal injuries linked to Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs, Novo Nordisk allegedly failed to warn consumers about them and constantly downplayed the adverse risks that Ozempic use posed to consumers.
Additionally, as signs of gastrointestinal issues started to emerge, and researchers started linking the sources of those health risks to semaglutide drugs, Novo Nordisk acknowledged the health risks, but allegedly downplayed their seriousness and alleged that stomach paralysis, in particular, is also attributed to diabetes.
In January 2024, a report in Cureus found a correlation between gastroparesis and semaglutide drugs. Although the report stated that it was ‘rare’ for these drugs to cause stomach paralysis, it also noted that “it’s known that semaglutide regulates stomach motility and emptying.” Moreover, the patient’s symptoms, reviewed in this study, improved significantly after he stopped taking the medication.
Despite this report, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, didn’t immediately update the warning label for the medications under scrutiny. All this information has led to an increase in the number of individuals filing Ozempic side effect lawsuits.
Furthermore, plaintiffs have filed weight loss medication lawsuits against Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and other pharmaceutical companies that produce similar medications, aiming to hold these companies liable through product liability lawsuits for the injuries allegedly caused by their products.
Essentially, these diabetes drug legal claims argue that Novo Nordisk and other defendants didn’t uphold their legal responsibility to warn the public of the potential dangers of taking semaglutide drugs. Also, they allege the defendants’ marketing for these drugs amounted to making misleading and false claims or misrepresentations of the medications.
Semaglutide Side Effects at the Center of the Ozempic Lawsuit 2025
Semaglutide drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, belong to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. GLP-1 medications imitate a gut hormone that activates the pancreas to release insulin. This causes the liver to produce less glucose, and it slows down the emptying of the stomach. Additionally, these medications act on parts of the brain that regulate feelings of fullness and appetite.
Although these actions are essential for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, they may pose severe health risks.
Common, mild side effects of semaglutide medications include:
- Vomiting
- diarrhea
- Nausea
- Gas and bloating
- Constipation
- Discomfort or stomach pain
- Burping and acid reflux
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Headache
- Changes to your face: Individuals who take Ozempic often get the ‘Ozempic face.’
- Vivid or abnormal dreams
- Allergic reactions
Often, many of the mild side effects improve on their own as you continue taking these medications and your body gets used to them. However, if these mild gastrointestinal side effects don’t improve within a few weeks, contact your doctor right away. In addition, if you experience severe side effects after taking semaglutide medication, seek medical treatment immediately. That could be a sign of something serious.
Rare but severe semaglutide side effects that have been reported in individuals using these drugs include:
- Gallbladder problems, like gallstones
- Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas
- Vision problems, including vision loss
- Acute kidney damage
- Intestinal blockage
- Hypoglycemia or severe low blood glucose
- Stomach paralysis or gastroparesis
Moreover, semaglutide drugs also have an FDA black box warning for thyroid tumors. This is the strictest warning the FDA issues for medications. Studies in animals have found an elevated risk of thyroid C-cell tumors linked to GLP-1 receptor agonists, but this risk hasn’t been confirmed in humans.
If you experience any of the severe side effects mentioned above, contact your doctor immediately.
Class Action Status and Major Plaintiff Updates
As of July 2025, no Ozempic class action lawsuits have been made against Novo Nordisk. At least 1,997 cases are pending in the MDL 3094 in Pennsylvania. It’s crucial to note that class action lawsuits and MDLs are different.
The Ozempic case also includes lawsuits involving other semaglutide medications, including Wegovy and Rybelsus (manufactured by Novo Nordisk), as well as Trulicity and Mounjaro (manufactured by Eli Lilly).
A group of claimants files class action lawsuits against a defendant who allegedly injured them. The group is referred to as a “class.” The class represents the interests of a large group of individuals with similar claims or injuries.
In this case, for instance, a company leaked private data for millions of people. Jane and John Doe may file a class action lawsuit, representing the millions of people affected by the data leak. Everyone whose data was leaked need not file a case because they were wronged by the same defendant in the same manner and at the same time. If the two plaintiffs win at trial or settle with the defendant, the judge notifies the “class” and distributes the funds equally among all the affected parties. Class action suits streamline the legal process, reducing the need for repetitive cases.
Unlike class action lawsuits, plaintiffs with a legal claim in an MDL have an individual lawsuit rather than a collective one. All the lawsuits are merged into a single litigation. If the individual lawsuit proceeds to trial and the court rules in favor of the harmed party (the claimant), the MDL case award in the specific lawsuit is awarded to the particular plaintiff. In an MDL, individual plaintiffs retain their attorneys, have the right to discovery, and bear the burden of proof.
As of now, there are no Ozempic payouts, settlements, or verdicts. All Ozempic lawsuits are still ongoing, and they’re in the early stages of litigation. As the MDL progresses, award amounts will be determined and made public.
If Ozempic lawsuits are successful, the payouts and settlements will depend on the severity of the injuries and the specifics of each case. Plaintiffs may be entitled to receive financial compensation for both economic and non-economic losses, including medical expenses, emotional distress, lost income, and a reduced quality of life.
If you used semaglutide drugs and developed health complications like NAION, gastroparesis, intestinal blockage, or any other health complications, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to learn your legal options.
What to Expect Next in the Ozempic Litigation Timeline
Here’s the path forward in the Ozempic litigation:
- The deadline for plaintiffs to serve expert reports is set for July 16, 2025.
- The deadline for defendants to serve expert reports is set for August 13, 2025.
- The deadline for claimants to serve rebuttal expert reports is set for August 22, 2025.
- The deadline for both plaintiffs and defendants to complete expert depositions is set for October 10, 2025.
- The deadline for submitting motions to exclude expert testimony under initial briefs and Rule 702 is set for October 27, 2025.
- The deadline for submission of briefs in rejection to Rule 702 motions is set for December 3, 2025.
- The deadline for submitting briefs in response to summary judgment motions is set for December 16, 2025.
- The deadline for submission of reply briefs supporting Rule 702 motions is set for December 17, 2025.
- The deadline for submissions of reply briefs supporting summary judgment motions is set for January 16, 2026.
Based on that schedule, it’ll be a lengthy legal process.
How the July 2025 Update Impacts Patients
The Ozempic July 2025 update shows an increase in the number of Ozempic lawsuits, with claimants claiming stomach paralysis and NAION because of the semaglutide weight loss medication. Essentially, there’s a push to merge cases linked to NAION in New Jersey, providing a potential avenue for more plaintiffs to join the litigation. The 2025 GLP-1 lawsuits allege that Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, didn’t adequately warn consumers and doctors of these potential dangers.
- NAION legal claims: A group of 21 complaints in New Jersey is seeking to merge their legal claims against Novo Nordisk. These claims stem from arguments that Wegovy, Ozempic, and other semaglutide drugs can cause NAION, a rare eye condition that causes permanent blindness. If judges approve the consolidation, it’ll make it easier for more patients who developed NAION after taking these medications to file legal claims.
- Gastroparesis legal claims: Most Ozempic lawsuits focus on stomach paralysis (gastroparesis), a health condition where the stomach empties slowly, potentially causing vomiting, nausea, and other gastrointestinal problems. These claims make it easier for patients who developed gastrointestinal issues after taking these drugs to seek financial compensation for medical costs, lost income, and other damages linked to the condition.
Suppose you developed gastroparesis, vision loss, and other health complications after taking Wegovy, Ozempic, and other semaglutide drugs. In that case, you may be eligible to file a legal claim against the manufacturer of semaglutide to seek compensation for any damages you have suffered.
At Consumer.com, we partner with various personal injury lawyers who can help you file your Ozempic lawsuit and pursue the financial compensation to which you are entitled. Contact us now to discover how we can assist you.
