Study of 750,000 Pregnancies Examines Ozempic and Wegovy Risks
A Danish study of 756,636 singleton pregnancies involving 480,231 women examined whether accidental early exposure to GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with pregnancy complications. The medications included semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and liraglutide, sold as Saxenda. Researchers identified possible exposure when a prescription was filled during the eight weeks before or after the first day of the last menstrual period, a 16-week period covering time when pregnancy may not yet be recognized and early fetal development.
Only 529 pregnancies had prescription records indicating exposure. Using nationwide health registries, the researchers assessed premature birth before 37 weeks, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, unusually large birth size, stillbirth and placental problems. They adjusted the comparisons for factors including age, body mass index, smoking, education, location, diabetes status and the timing of pregnancy. The pregnancies resulted in deliveries between October 1, 2009, and December 31, 2023.
The results showed a clear difference according to why the drugs had been prescribed. Early exposure was associated with a higher risk of premature birth among women taking the medications for diabetes, but not among those using them for weight management, and no significant association with the other examined complications was found in the weight-management group. The pattern suggests that underlying diabetes may be driving the premature-birth risk rather than the medications themselves. Professor Henriette Svarre Nielsen and Dr. Kathrine Hviid said the findings could improve counseling after inadvertent exposure, but the drugs’ safety during pregnancy remains uncertain.
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