What Are the Pennsylvania Weight-Loss Drug Lawsuits About?
Most of the weight-loss drug lawsuits you have been hearing about lately involve an active ingredient named semaglutide. In scientific terms, semaglutide is a type of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (“GLP-1 Ra”). GLP-1 Ras mimics the GLP-1 hormone and activate the GLP-1 receptor on the surface of certain human cells, such as in the pancreas, where these drugs slow gastric emptying and stimulate the release of insulin. That basically means that these drugs help you lose weight by making you feel full.
This class of drugs started out as a diabetes treatment. In 2017, drugmaker Novo Nordisk (headquartered in Plainfield, New Jersey) started selling Ozempic® in the United States. Ozempic® is administered through what is known as subcutaneous injection – generally, a patient injects themselves in the shallow tissue surrounding their abdomen. In 2019, Novo Nordisk started selling Rybelsus®, which was basically a pill form of Ozempic®, also for the treatment of diabetes. It soon became clear that semaglutide was a very potent weight-loss drug and doctors began prescribing it off label to people who did not have diabetes. Demand became so high that some individual pharmacies even began compounding their own semaglutide weight-loss treatments, leading to Novo Nordisk filing lawsuits against those compounding pharmacies. In 2021, Novo Nordisk started selling Wegovy®, which was basically a high-dosage version of Ozempic®, also meant to be injected. However, this time Novo Nordisk received approval to specifically market the semaglutide in Wegovy® for its weight-loss properties in adults.
These semaglutide drugs are “blockbuster drugs,” with revenues expected to exceed tens of billions of dollars. According to some claims, GLP-1 RAs have been prescribed to nearly two percent of the entire United States population. The widespread use, and resulting shortages, of these semaglutide weight-loss drugs has also contributed to the popularity of similar drugs, such as Trulicity® (dulaglutide) and Mounjaro® (tirzepatide), made by the drugmaker Eli Lilly.
Unfortunately, studies have shown that taking these drugs can cause severe side-effects and injuries.
Stark & Stark is a national law firm pursuing thousands of cases throughout the country. We are not a marketing group. Stark & Stark has been in business for over 80 years and has over 100 experienced attorneys in offices located throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, ready to talk to you about your potential claim. Please let us help you.
Do I Have a Wegovy® Injury Claim in Pennsylvania?
Studies have shown that taking Wegovy® and other semaglutide drugs can cause severe side-effects and injuries. Those injuries include, but are not limited to:
- Gastroparesis
- Stomach Paralysis
- Ileus
- Gastric Obstruction
- Other Gastrointestinal Injuries
- Intraoperative Pulmonary Aspiration
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Gallbladder Removal
- DVT Related Injuries
If you or a loved one:
- Have Taken Wegovy® or Another Semaglutide Drug Specifically for Weight Loss; and
- Have Been Hospitalized and Treated for Any of the Above Injuries While Taking the Drugs or Within 30 Days of Stopping;
you may be entitled to compensation.
While we insist that you do not discontinue taking any medications before speaking with your doctor, we strongly recommend that you seek counsel experienced in Wegovy® claims and injuries. Stark & Stark’s Wegovy® attorneys are actively investigating Wegovy® claims and seeking settlements on behalf of patients injured by these potentially defective drugs. Contact us at no cost to you.
Have Wegovy® Class Action Lawsuits Been Filed in Pennsylvania?
Wegovy® claims across the nation have been consolidated in a Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”), which centralizes pretrial activities for multiple cases to save time, court costs, and attorneys’ fees. MDL number 3094, entitled In Re: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAS) Products Liability Litigation, has been centralized in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, under District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter. The MDL encompasses all personal injury claims involving Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Rybelsus®, Trulicity®, and/or Mounjaro®, regarding whether defendants (Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly) knew or should have known that their GLP-1 RA products could cause gastroparesis and other gastrointestinal injuries, whether defendants adequately warned plaintiffs or their prescribing physicians about the alleged dangers of these products, and whether defendants made false, misleading, or incomplete representations regarding the safety of these products.i,ii
Stark & Stark is committed to holding drug manufacturers liable when their products improperly endanger the public. Stark & Stark’s Wegovy® attorneys are experienced in MDL litigations throughout the nation and in negotiating with medical device and pharmaceutical settlement representatives. We are not a marketing group. Stark & Stark is a law firm comprised of experienced trial lawyers. If you have a Wegovy® claim, or you are uncertain and have questions about injuries that you may have suffered because of Wegovy® or other semaglutide drugs, the attorneys at Stark & Stark can help. Contact us now for a free consultation.
i https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/mdl/mdl-3094-re-glucagon-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-glp-1-ras-products-liability-litigation
ii https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-3094-Transfer_Order-1-24.pdf
Contact a Pennsylvania Wegovy® Lawyer to Assess Your Claim.
If you or a member of your family has suffered injuries from Wegovy® or another semaglutide drug, you may be entitled to compensation under the MDL litigation process or via settlement. Please contact Stark & Stark to speak with one of our Wegovy® attorneys, free of charge, who can help walk you through the settlement and lawsuit process and assess any claims that you may have.
Stark and Stark practices in the state and federal courthouses throughout Pennsylvania, including:
- Adams County (Gettysburg)
- Allegheny County (Pittsburgh)
- Armstrong County (Kittanning)
- Beaver County (Beaver)
- Bedford County (Bedford)
- Berks County (Reading)
- Blair County (Hollidaysburg)
- Bradford County (Towanda)
- Bucks County (Doylestown)
- Butler County (Butler)
- Cambria County (Ebensburg)
- Cameron County (Emporium)
- Carbon County (Jim Thorpe)
- Centre County (Bellefonte)
- Chester County (West Chester)
- Clarion County (Clarion)
- Clearfield County (Clearfield)
- Clinton County (Lock Haven)
- Columbia County (Bloomsburg)
- Crawford County (Meadville)
- Cumberland County (Carlisle)
- Dauphin County (Harrisburg)
- Delaware County (Media)
- Elk County (Ridgway)
- Erie County (Erie)
- Fayette County (Uniontown)
- Forest County (Tionesta)
- Franklin County (Chambersburg)
- Fulton County (McConnellsburg)
- Greene County (Waynesburg)
- Huntingdon County (Huntingdon)
- Indiana County (Indiana)
- Jefferson County (Brookville)
- Juniata County (Mifflintown)
- Lackawanna County (Scranton)
- Lancaster County (Lancaster)
- Lawrence County (New Castle)
- Lebanon County (Lebanon)
- Lehigh County (Allentown)
- Luzerne County (Wilkes-Barre)
- Lycoming County (Williamsport)
- McKean County (Smethport)
- Mercer County (Mercer)
- Mifflin County (Lewistown)
- Monroe County (Stroudsburg)
- Montgomery County (Norristown)
- Montour County (Danville)
- Northampton County (Easton)
- Northumberland County (Sunbury)
- Perry County (New Bloomfield)
- Philadelphia County (Philadelphia)
- Pike County (Milford)
- Potter County (Coudersport)
- Schuylkill County (Pottsville)
- Snyder County (Middleburg)
- Somerset County (Somerset)
- Sullivan County (Laporte)
- Susquehanna County (Montrose)
- Tioga County (Wellsboro)
- Union County (Lewisburg)
- Venango County (Franklin)
- Warren County (Warren)
- Washington County (Washington)
- Wayne County (Honesdale)
- Westmoreland County (Greensburg)
- Wyoming County (Tunkhannock)
- York County (York)
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, Easton)
- United States District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania (Scranton, Harrisburg, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre)
Here is a list of Pennsylvania hospitals that may have treated you for injuries sustained due to Wegovy® or another semaglutide drug, however this list is not all-inclusive.
Hospital | City | State |
Abington Memorial Hospital | Abington | PA |
Albert Einstein Medical Center | Philadelphia | PA |
Brandywine Hospital | Coatesville | PA |
Brookville Hospital | Brookville | PA |
Carlisle Regional Medical Center | Carlisle | PA |
Chester County Hospital | West Chester | PA |
Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center | Coatesville | PA |
Conemaugh Miners Medical Center | Hastings | PA |
Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital | Johnstown | PA |
Coordinated Health Orthopedic Hospital | Bethlehem | PA |
Eastern Regional Medical Center | Philadelphia | PA |
Easton Hospital | Easton | PA |
Ellwood City Hospital | Ellwood City | PA |
Ephrata Community Hospital | Ephrata | PA |
Excela Health Latrobe Hospital | Latrobe | PA |
Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital | Greensburg | PA |
Fulton County Medical Center | Mcconnellsburg | PA |
Geisinger Medical Center | Danville | PA |
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center | Wilkes-Barre | PA |
Good Shepherd Penn Partners Specialty Hospital At Rittenhouse | Philadelphia | PA |
Grove City Medical Center | Grove City | PA |
Hazleton General Hospital | Hazleton | PA |
Heart Of Lancaster Regional Medical Center | Lititz | PA |
Hospital Of The University Of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | PA |
J C Blair Memorial Hospital | Huntingdon | PA |
Jameson Memorial Hospital | New Castle | PA |
Jeanes Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Jennersville Regional Hospital | West Grove | PA |
Jersey Shore Hospital | Jersey Shore | PA |
Kane Community Hospital | Kane | PA |
Kensington Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Kindred Hospital – Wyoming Valley | Wilkes-Barre | PA |
Lancaster General Hospital | Lancaster | PA |
Lancaster Regional Medical Center | Lancaster | PA |
Lehigh Valley Hospital | Allentown | PA |
Lehigh Valley Hospital-17Th St | Allentown | PA |
Lewistown Hospital | Lewistown | PA |
Lifecare Hospitals Of Chester County | West Chester | PA |
Lock Haven Hospital | Lock Haven | PA |
Main Line Bryn Mawr Hospital | Bryn Mawr | PA |
Main Line Health Lankenau Medical Center | Wynnewood | PA |
Main Line Paoli Hospital | Paoli | PA |
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Meyersdale Community Hospital | Meyersdale | PA |
Montrose General Hospital | Montrose | PA |
Muncy Valley Hospital | Muncy | PA |
Nazareth Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | Philadelphia | PA |
Pennsylvania Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Phoenixville Hospital | Phoenixville | PA |
Physicians Care Surgical Hospital | Royersford | PA |
Pinnaclehealth Harrisburg Campus | Harrisburg | PA |
Punxsutawney Area Hospital | Punxsutawney | PA |
Reading Hospital & Medical Center | Reading | PA |
Regional Hospital Of Scranton | Scranton | PA |
Roxborough Memorial Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Sacred Heart Hospital | Allentown | PA |
Select Specialty Hospital Central Pennsylvania York | York | PA |
Select Specialty Hospital Johnstown | Johnstown | PA |
Select Specialty Hospital Laurel Highlands | Latrobe | PA |
Sharon Regional Health System | Sharon | PA |
Somerset Hospital | Somerset | PA |
Springfield Hospital | Springfield | PA |
St Joseph Medical Center | Reading | PA |
St Josephs Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Sunbury Community Hospital | Sunbury | PA |
Surgical Specialty Center At Coordinated Health | Allentown | PA |
Temple University Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
The Good Samaritan Hospital | Lebanon | PA |
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital | Philadelphia | PA |
Titusville Area Hospital | Titusville | PA |
Triumph Hospital Philadelphia | Philadelphia | PA |
UPMC East | Monroeville | PA |
Upmc Horizon | Greenville | PA |
UPMC Horizon – Shenango Valley | Farrell | PA |
UPMC Passavant | Cranberry | PA |
UPMC Shadyside | Pittsburgh | PA |
VA Medical Center – H.J. Heinz Campus | Pittsburgh | PA |
VA Medical Center – Lebanon | Lebanon | PA |
Va Medical Center – Philadelphia | Philadelphia | PA |
VA Medical Center – University Drive Campus | Pittsburgh | PA |
Washington Hospital | Washington | PA |
Westfield Hospital | Allentown | PA |
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital | Wilkes-Barre | PA |
Williamsport Regional Medical Center | Williamsport | PA |