Women taking weight loss jabs must use contraception, and wait up to two months after stopping the medication before trying to get pregnant, the government’s health agency has warned.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a warning around the use of GLP-1 medicines, which are used both for weight loss and to treat diabetes.
It says the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 or GLP-1 RAs) must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to pregnant or while breastfeeding. Women who are attempting to get pregnant have been warned to stop using the medicine for two months before trying to have a baby.
It is because there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the foetus.
The MHRA said it has received 40 reports relating to pregnancy among women taking the jab.
Mounjaro has also been found to reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in those who are overweight. This means anyone using the jab should also use condoms, particularly during the first four weeks and after any dose increase.
The weight loss jabs have been linked with a “baby boom”, with women reporting online they have surprise pregnancies, despite using contraception – nicknaming them ‘Ozempic babies’ or ‘Mounjaro babies’.
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MHRA data found 26 pregnancy-related reports for women taking Mounjaro. Women do not have to specify in the report if the pregnancy is unintentional, but one did say as such.
There were eight reports relating to people taking Ozempic and Wegovy and a further nine for Victoza or Saxenda, with one woman saying her pregnancy was accidental.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer said the “skinny jabs” were medicines, and “should not be used as aesthetic or cosmetic treatments”
“They are not a quick fix to lose weight and have not been assessed to be safe when used in this way,” she said.
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She urged patients to read in the information leaflet, or have a conversation with a healthcare professional as part of the prescribing process.
