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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in partnership with Genomics England, has launched a major national study to examine whether serious side effects linked to GLP-1 medicines, such as acute pancreatitis, could be influenced by a patient\u2019s genetic profile.<\/p>\n
This study, part of the Yellow Card Biobank initiative, is calling for people across the UK who have been hospitalised with acute pancreatitis while using GLP-1 receptor agonists\u2014including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro\u2014to come forward and report their experience through the Yellow Card scheme.<\/p>\n
The goal is to understand whether specific genetic traits may predispose individuals to develop serious adverse reactions to these increasingly popular medicines, which are prescribed for Type 2 diabetes and, in some cases, weight management.<\/p>\n
GLP-1 medicines and public interest<\/strong><\/p>\n GLP-1 receptor agonists (also called GLP-1 RAs) mimic hormones that help regulate appetite and blood sugar levels. These drugs have surged in popularity globally, partly due to their weight-loss effects, earning the nickname \u201cskinny jabs\u201d in popular media.<\/p>\n Although effective and widely used, they are not without risk. One rare but potentially life-threatening side effect is acute pancreatitis\u2014a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed, often resulting in severe abdominal pain that radiates to the back and can require hospitalisation.<\/p>\n A genetic link? The Yellow Card Biobank steps in<\/strong><\/p>\n The Yellow Card Biobank is a pioneering initiative combining pharmacovigilance and genomics to help identify which patients are genetically more susceptible to serious side effects.<\/p>\n Those who report a qualifying case of acute pancreatitis via the MHRA\u2019s Yellow Card reporting system may be invited to join the study. Participation involves submitting more information about their experience and providing a saliva sample via post for DNA analysis.<\/p>\n Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer<\/strong>, explained the potential impact:<\/p>\n \u201cEvidence 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 \u00a32.2 billion a year in hospital stays alone.<\/p>\n \u201cInformation from the Yellow Card Biobank will help us to better predict those most at risk of adverse reactions – enabling patients across the UK to receive the safest medicine for them, based on their genetic makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n Participants will receive a saliva collection kit by post, with full instructions and a prepaid envelope to return the sample, making it simple and convenient to contribute to this important research.<\/p>\n What to watch for: Symptoms of acute pancreatitis<\/strong><\/p>\n Though rare, acute pancreatitis is a serious medical condition. Symptoms to be aware of include:<\/p>\n Sudden, severe abdominal pain (often radiating to the back)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Persistent nausea or vomiting<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fever or rapid pulse<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Abdominal tenderness or swelling<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Anyone experiencing these symptoms while taking a GLP-1 medicine should seek immediate medical attention.<\/p>\n Who should report \u2013 and how?<\/strong><\/p>\n This includes medicines containing the active ingredients: semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide, lixisenatide, or tirzepatide<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n If you\u2019re unsure which medicine you\u2019re on, check the packaging or consult a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n Reporting is easy:<\/strong><\/p>\n Healthcare professionals also urged to assist<\/strong><\/p>\n Doctors, pharmacists and other clinicians are also being asked to report suspected cases of acute pancreatitis related to GLP-1 medications on behalf of their patients, and to facilitate contact with eligible individuals.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Yellow Card Biobank also works directly with healthcare professionals to refer patients. Please see the website for more information or to get in touch with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Clinicians can select \u201cYes\u201d when completing a Yellow Card to indicate their patient is willing to be contacted about the study.<\/p>\n Towards a safer, personalised future in medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n Professor Matt Brown, Chief Scientific Officer at Genomics England<\/strong>, added:<\/p>\n \u201cGLP-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.<\/p>\n \u201cThis next step in our partnership with the MHRA will generate data and evidence for safer and more effective treatment through more personalised approaches to prescription, supporting a shift towards an increasingly prevention-focused healthcare system.\u201d<\/p>\n The long-term goal of the Yellow Card Biobank is to enable rapid screening tests that can predict whether a person is at genetic risk of certain side effects. This will allow clinicians to personalise prescriptions\u2014avoiding harm and improving outcomes.<\/p>\n Key takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in partnership with Genomics England, has launched a major national…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215548,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3846],"tags":[9658,9660,9661,267,9656,9659,9657,70,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-215547","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-ballymena-news","9":"tag-causeway-coast-and-glens","10":"tag-county-antrim","11":"tag-genetics","12":"tag-love-ballymena","13":"tag-mid-and-east-antrim","14":"tag-northern-ireland-news","15":"tag-science","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114749009273927563","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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