The Yellow Card Biobank, launched by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Genomics England, will investigate whether the risk of acute pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) from GLP-1 — glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists — injections for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes may be influenced by an individual’s genes.  

Patients hospitalised with acute pancreatitis suspected to be related to GLP-1 medicines, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, are being asked to report it to the MHRA’s scheme. These medicines, colloquially called “skinny jabs”, are licensed for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes. 

Healthcare professionals are also being asked to report to Yellow Cards on behalf of patients experiencing acute pancreatitis while taking GLP-1 medicines. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said, “Evidence shows that almost a third of side effects to medicines could be prevented with the introduction of genetic testing. It is predicted that adverse drug reactions cost the NHS more than £2.2 billion a year in hospital stays alone… Even if you don’t meet the criteria for this phase of the biobank study, information about your reaction to a medication is always extremely valuable in helping to improve patient safety.”

Professor Matt Brown, Chief Scientific Officer of Genomics England, said, “GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy have been making headlines, but, like all medicines there can be a risk of serious side-effects. We believe there is real potential to minimise these, with many adverse reactions having a genetic cause.”

Although infrequent, acute pancreatitis has been reported with GLP-1 medicines. This can be serious. The main symptom is severe pain in the stomach that radiates to the back and does not go away. Anyone experiencing this should seek immediate medical help.

(Source: MHRA)

More Like This

Published on June 29, 2025