Update: Investigation into Ozempic Maker Expanded After More Reports of Suicidal and Self-Harm Thoughts

A top European agency began investigating the drug following reports of suicidal thoughts and self harm

A top European regulatory agency has expanded its investigation into the manufacturer of obesity and diabetes drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda, in light of additional reports of thoughts of suicide and self-harm in those who took the drugs.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced its review into the manufacturer, Danish firm Novo Nordisk, after reports from the Icelandic Medicines Agency found two cases of suicidal thoughts (potentially linked to Ozempic and Saxenda), and one case of thoughts of self-harm (linked to Saxenda), according to Reuters.

That number has since risen to "150 reports of possible cases of self-injury and suicidal thoughts," the EMA said in a statement.

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The medication is approved by the FDA for use in the U.S., and taken by injection in the thigh, stomach or arm, for people with type 2 diabetes. And while Saxenda does mention a warning to "monitor for depression or suicidal thoughts," Ozempic does not have a similar warning on its prescribing information.

Ozempic and other drugs in its class have recently become popular among non-diabetics as a quick way to lose weight.

“Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously,” the manufacturer said in a statement to CNBC.

“The safety data collected from large clinical trial programs and post marketing surveillance have not demonstrated a causal association between semaglutide or liraglutide and suicidal and self-harming thoughts,” the statement continued.

But it's those specific components — semaglutide and liraglutide, both GLP-1 receptor agonists — that are under investigation. In its initial statement, the EMA said its safety committee, PRAC, was “currently evaluating the risk of suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm in patients who used a semaglutide — or liraglutide —containing medicine for weight loss.”

The investigation "has now been extended to include other GLP-1 receptor agonists," the agency said, adding that they expect to conclude their review in November 2023.

The way semaglutide works is “to mimic those hormones that are released from our intestine and our pancreas when we eat, then impact different tissues in our body,” Ania Jastreboff, M.D., PhD., an obesity medicine physician scientist at Yale University, told PEOPLE.

Related: Stars Who've Spoken About Ozempic — and What They've Said

“One of the targets is the brain. So, they work in the brain to impact satiety. So, what happens is when patients take these medications, they feel more full earlier, especially during the weight-reduction phase.”

The EMA did point out that it "is not yet clear whether the reported cases are linked to the medicines themselves or to the patients’ underlying conditions or other factors".

And while Ozempic has become something of a punchline in pop culture recently, with Andy Cohen even joking that The Real Housewives of Ozempic is airing — some celebrities have commented on the downsides of the drug.

Amy Schumer admitted to taking Ozempic to lose weight, but said she stopped due to the side effects. “I was one of those people that felt so sick,” she said.

Shahs of Sunset alum Golnesa "GG" Gharachedaghi said she “cut back” on her doses after she lost more weight than she’d intended to lose.

And Chelsea Handler said she didn’t even know she was on Ozempic. "So, my anti-aging doctor just hands it out to anybody," Handler admitted. "I didn't even know I was on it. She said, 'If you ever want to drop five lbs., this is good.'"

Related: Jackie Goldschneider Says 'a Lot' of 'Real Housewives' Stars Use Ozempic: 'I'm Horrified by It'

Arianna Huffington, an outspoken critic of using Ozempic for weight loss, believes it doesn't get to the root cause of unhealthy weight gain. “If people are diabetic it can really help them," Huffington said. "But I think people forget that you also need to eat better. You know, if you are on Ozempic and eat junk, processed foods, too much sugar, you are not going to really change your eating habits.”

And Padma Lakshmi pointed to the drug's popularity as being symptomatic of a larger, cultural problem in our society. “The pressure for women in media is much different than men in media. So we have to maybe look deeper to the reasons why, as a society, not just put it on the shoulders of the women who just want the same opportunity that men get," she said.

Overall, Lakshmi pointed out, “You gotta be careful what you do with your body.”

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