Investing.com -- The number of personal injury lawsuits centralized in a Pennsylvania court regarding the potentially harsh side effects of popular weight-loss drugs made by Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) is expanding, according to one of the lawyers representing plaintiffs in these cases.
These claims say that Denmark's Novo Nordisk and US peer Eli Lilly failed to adequately warn people about the side effects of their GLP-1 receptor agonists, or glucagon-like peptide 1.
In February, previously existing lawsuits in the federal court system were bundled together into a so-called multidistrict litigation, or MDL, in a federal court in the US state of Pennsylvania. However, the MDL does not stop plaintiffs from filing lawsuits about these drugs in state courts.
Speaking to Investing.com, Alexandra Walsh, a partner at Anapol Weiss who is focused on eventually bringing these claims before a jury, said there are currently 1,025 cases on file with the court.
She added that the cases mainly revolve around claims that the GLP-1 drugs caused damage to the gastrointestinal system.
The plaintiffs have accused drugmakers of not provide enough information about the side effects when marketing the benefits of the treatments. Walsh said the companies behind GLP-1 medications "should at a minimum give people fair and balanced and accurate and adequate information about the downsides so that a person can make with their doctor an informed decision about whether or not they want to take this drug."
The GLP-1 class of drugs includes blockbuster brands like Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro. According to Harvard University, GLP-1 treatments aim to help patients with diabetes by helping them release insulin and control blood sugar levels. They can also act on the brain to reduce hunger and delay the emptying of the stomach, possibly leading to weight loss.
Since releasing their GLP-1 offerings, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have registered record profits. Some analysts have estimated that total annual global sales for such medications could be around $150 billion early in the next decade, Reuters reported.
In a statement, Novo Nordisk, which is facing the majority of the lawsuits in the MDL, argued that known risks of the drugs are described in their regulator-approved product labeling, adding that it "stands behind the safety and efficacy" of all of its GLP-1 medicines "when they are used as indicated and when they are taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional."
The firm noted that the allegations presented in the MDL are "without merit."
"[W]e intend to vigorously defend against these claims," Novo Nordisk said.
Representatives from Eli Lilly, which is a defendant in a smaller amount of the lawsuits in the MDL, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.