An Australian woman has died after taking weight loss injectables — including Ozempic — which her family says were prescribed by her doctor in an effort to slim down for her daughter’s wedding.
“We stand behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic when used as indicated,” the drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, said in a statement to PEOPLE.
Trish Webster, 56, had reportedly been worried about fitting into a particular dress for her daughter’s big day, according to her husband Roy, who spoke to 60 Minutes Australia.
Roy said Trish saw a television ad for Ozempic in 2022 and asked her doctor for a prescription. Although she began experiencing gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea, she continued using the drug, The Independent reported.
“My daughter was getting married, and she just kept mentioning that dress that she wanted to wear,” Roy told the outlet. “She went to the dressmaker to get the measurements. It was one big nightmare from there.”
Like in the U.S., Ozempic is approved in Australia for treating type 2 diabetes — not for weight loss — according to the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care. In September, the agency acknowledged the widespread off-label use of the drug amid ongoing shortages.
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Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, is also marketed under the brand name Wegovy — the latter being approved for weight management in the U.S. Both medications work by influencing areas of the brain that regulate appetite and satiety.
The Australian government acknowledged that Ozempic was being prescribed off-label but clarified that it “does not have the power to regulate the clinical decisions of health professionals and is unable to prevent doctors from using their clinical judgment to prescribe Ozempic for other health conditions.”
After several months, Trish reportedly switched to another injectable called Saxenda, which also affects appetite through its active ingredient, liraglutide — similar in action to semaglutide and tirzepatide.
In total, Trish lost about 35 lbs. over five months of using the medications. However, her family says she also endured worsening side effects including vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.
On January 16, Trish suddenly stopped breathing.
“She had a little bit of brown stuff coming out of her mouth and I realized she wasn’t breathing, and started doing CPR,” Roy said during his interview with 60 Minutes Australia.
“It was just pouring out and I turned her onto the side because she couldn’t breathe,” he added.
Trish died that night. Her death certificate listed acute gastrointestinal illness as the cause.
Roy Webster believes the injectable medications were responsible, even though they were not directly cited on the death certificate.
“I couldn’t save her; that’s the hard part,” he said. “If I knew that could happen, she wouldn’t have been taking it.”
Health officials are currently examining the gastrointestinal risks associated with drugs like Ozempic. In June, semaglutide medications were linked to cases of severe gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach’s ability to empty is severely impaired.
Later, in September, the FDA issued a warning about another serious risk: ileus — a potentially fatal bowel obstruction that can stop digestion entirely and lead to tissue death due to lack of blood flow.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk emphasized the company’s commitment to patient safety, stating:
“Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk. We take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously. However, we do not comment on individual patient cases.”
They added that Ozempic “should be taken under the care of a licensed healthcare provider” and is FDA-approved specifically for type 2 diabetes management — not for weight loss. The drug is intended to improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Novo Nordisk also acknowledged gastrointestinal side effects: “The most commonly reported side effects were gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation. The known risks associated with use of Ozempic are reflected in the FDA-approved product labeling.”
“We stand behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic® when used as indicated,” the statement concluded.
