GLP-1 Medication Class-Action Lawsuit is Picking Up Speed; Production of peptide medications adds industrial solvent waste to the environmental burden.

Why bitter tasting phytonutrients are a better appetite suppressor/GLP-1 hormone stimulator ... less deadly, less likely to cause blindness or loss of gallbladder... and worse, worse than death? maybe, continued after the initial environmental concern and overview of risks involved with the GLP-1 hormone agonist group of medications.

GLP-1 drug production creates excessive environmental solvent waste - eat bitter phytonutrients for a natural GLP-1 promoter (or nicotine lozenges)

I noticed an alarming headline in my Microsoft auto-news feed and it led me to Futurism and lots of clickbait alarming titles. Ozempic really is alarming though - dangerous in many ways.

Let me count the ways Ozempic or other GLP-1 promoting medications are harmful:

1. The weight loss is an excess of muscle mass being lost, so the person is losing fitness level and slowing their overall metabolic rate.

2. Going off the GLP-1 medication can then have a rebound excessive appetite with even greater weight regain because the person now has a lower muscle mass and lower metabolic rate … each calorie counts a bit more because the resting energy use of the body is reduced. The person needs fewer calories to maintain weight, making it easier to gain more weight on the same calories as they used to eat.

3. GLP-1 medication use seems to have a fairly rapid causal effect on gallbladder inflammation and may lead to needing the gallbladder removed under standard care guidance and that leaves the person not digesting fats very well and forever after may need to restrict the amount of fats consumed in any one meal or snack, or suffer digestive pain and possibly fatty diarrhea or stools (bowel movements).

4. Bitter tasting phytonutrients are the body’s natural method for stimulating GLP-1 hormone production which causes a reduction in appetite, a satisfied, “I ate enough now” feeling.

   1. Bitter tasting phytonutrients also seem necessary for proper leptin receptor activation and the leptin receptor is involved in insulin receptor sensitivity and stable blood sugar levels. An excess of insulin/insulin resistance can increase the appetite and fat storage, so simply eating more bitter tasting phytonutrients can help with weight loss by improving satisfaction/reducing appetite, and by improving insulin and blood sugar metabolism.

5. Nicotine is a natural GLP-1 stimulator, which explains why ‘smokers tend to be slim’, but also have digestive issues and can end up losing muscle mass from an excessive reduction in metabolism.

6. Buying a product for a quick fix, often leads to a long term calamity, in this case for the environment too, as the industrial production of peptide medications (there are many peptide type of medications, over 80, not just Ozempic) uses a lot of solvents that don’t biodegrade well leading to an ever accumulating amount of toxic waste to store or discard in ways that harm the ecosystem.

   1. That and many other clickbait titles about GLP-1 can be read on Futurism.com: list of many GLP-1 archived posts.

   2. “Weight Loss, Pollution Gain: GLP-1s Are an Environmental Catastrophe,” By Victor Tangermann, Published Feb 8, 2026, Futurism.

   3. The article is about this recent publication: Wang, L., Wang, N., Zhang, W. et al. Therapeutic peptides: current applications and future directions. Sig Transduct Target Ther 7, 48 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-022-00904-4 or https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00904-4.

7. That Ozempic is being promoted as something to provide to even more people, like ‘everyone’ … is a health catastrophe, as the negative health consequences are significant and not uncommon, more of a given practically….

If you use that medication than your weight loss IS likely to include more muscle loss than ideal, and when you stop use it is very likely to REGAIN WEIGHT RAPIDLY. And losing your gallbladder is a lifelong loss of ability to digest fats well. ….. Please use your common sense regarding healthy approaches to appetite control and weight loss.

Fennel seeds, pomegranate peel, oregano and citrus peel zest are all bitter flavorings to use as an accent flavor that can help with appetite and are anti-inflammatory in other ways.

Semaglutide is the generic drug name for medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. Image by Haberdoedas

There Is Massive Litigation Underway

Thousands of lawsuits have been consolidated against Novo Nordisk (Ozempic, Wegovy) and Eli Lilly (Mounjaro, Zepbound). As of January 2026, over 4,400 patients have filed claims, now organized into two main multidistrict litigations (MDLs) in Pennsylvania federal court. (1, 4, 7)

“A recent survey by the nonpartisan health organization KFF shows that 12% of American adults (over 31 million people) are currently using GLP-1 drugs; about one in five Americans (over 46 million) have tried such drugs.” […]

Regarding timeline and potential outcome for some of the plaintiffs:In federal litigation, there are key hurdles for claims related to gastroparesis: the Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the cases are centralized, requires plaintiffs to have undergone specific medical tests at the time of diagnosis to confirm the condition. If such tests were not conducted at the time, plaintiffs may be excluded from compensation.In addition, lawsuits usually take a long time. Since all cases have been centralized in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, several ‘bellwether trials’ will be conducted first to gauge the potential direction of the cases. Plaintiff attorneys say this could stretch until 2027. Considering that the earliest lawsuits were filed in 2023, the process for patients to receive compensation is indeed lengthy. 

- Austin Fast, a USA Today investigative data reporter (link in English but lots of ads, in an Excerpt podcast interview by Dana Taylor (usatoday.com/)(1 *article in Chinese, translation of a podcast interview is included below)

The cases allege that manufacturers failed to adequately warn about severe risks. (3, 9)

The Injuries Being Alleged

The harms are serious and, in some cases, permanent:

Injury Type: Details; Prevalence in Lawsuits

• Gastroparesis (Stomach Paralysis): Stomach stops emptying properly; causes chronic nausea, vomiting, pain; ~75% of federal cases. (1, 7)

• Ileus/Intestinal Obstruction: Bowel muscles fail to push waste through; can require emergency surgery: ~18% of cases. (1, 7)

• Gallbladder Disease: Inflammation, gangrene, surgical removal; ~8% of cases (1, 7)

• NAION (Eye Stroke): Sudden, permanent vision loss from optic nerve blood flow blockage; Separate MDL with 29+ cases as of Jan 2026, growing rapidly. (9)

• Pancreatitis: Inflammation of pancreas; can be fatal; Included in many claims. (6)

• Wernicke’s Encephalopathy: Brain dysfunction from vitamin deficiency secondary to severe vomiting; At least one reported case. (1, 7)

The vision loss piece—”eye stroke” (NAION)—is particularly significant. European regulators recently updated Wegovy and Ozempic labels to warn that the drugs may cause NAION in up to 1 in 10,000 patients. U.S. labels still only warn of vague “vision changes” without mentioning NAION specifically. (4, 7)

• Todd Engel, a 63-year-old Maryland truck driver, lost vision in one eye, then the other while taking Ozempic. He’s now legally blind. His lawsuit is one of many. (1, 7)

• JoHelen McClain, 72, heard her colon “pop” while driving her granddaughter home. It had ruptured from a blockage. She required emergency surgery and a permanent colostomy bag. (1, 7)

These are some of the stories behind the case numbers.

Syringe/Injection was how the drug was given to many patients.

• Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound are all injectable drugs. (2, 3)

• The litigation is active now and growing rapidly—over 3,000 cases in the gastrointestinal MDL alone as of January 2026. (8, 9)

• The vision loss MDL was just established December 2025—very recent. (9)

• Bellwether trials (test cases) are expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. (3, 8)

“Someone’s lawsuit will help make the way for justice.” That is what bellwether trials do—they test the waters before potential global settlements.

Strokes: Yes, But of the Eye

Are strokes a reported problem with Ozempic? NAION is literally called an “eye stroke” —it’s caused by interrupted blood flow to the optic nerve. (3, 7, 9)

Regular strokes (cerebrovascular) haven’t been strongly linked, but diabetic patients—the primary users—are already at elevated stroke risk, which complicates causation arguments. (7)

Placebo and Falsified Trials

“Placebo” and “falsified drug trials” also appears in the litigation. Plaintiffs argue that:

• Early trials minimized gastrointestinal risks

• Warning labels were updated only after lawsuits began filing in 2023 (7, 8)

• Companies promoted off-label weight-loss use while allegedly downplaying severity of side effects (8)

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly deny the claims, stating their products are safe when used as directed and that labels are FDA-approved. (1, 7)

References

1. 数千起诉讼质疑GLP-1类药物安全性 | The Excerpt, Thousands sue over GLP-1 drugs: What patients allege | The Excerpt, Jan 28, 2026 https://www.familydoctor.cn/news/shuqian-susong-zhiyi-leiyaowu-anquanxing-theexcerpt-322472.html [same article on USAToday, in English but lots of ads) “This article provides an in-depth report on thousands of lawsuits targeting GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, with patients accusing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly of failing to adequately warn about serious side effects such as gastroparesis, intestinal obstruction, and blindness. Investigations show that since 2023, over 4,200 patients have filed lawsuits, with notable cases including Todd Engel from Maryland, who became blind in both eyes after using Ozempic, and 72-year-old real estate agent Jo Harlan McClain from Oklahoma City, who suffered a bowel rupture requiring permanent colostomy. Although the pharmaceutical companies deny the allegations and emphasize the drugs' significant benefits in controlling blood sugar and reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease, patients are calling for stronger warning labels. Experts advise users to closely monitor their physical reactions. The litigation process is expected to continue until the test trial phase in 2027, highlighting the complex challenges of balancing efficacy and safety as innovative drugs become widely used.” (translation con’t below)

2. Sobia Qasim | Reviewed by Usma Parveen, Ozempic Uses, Mechanism, Weight Loss, and Safety, curely.co.uk, Feb 5, 2026, https://www.curely.co.uk/support-advice/ozempic

3. Ozempic Faces $2 Billion in Lawsuits Over Severe Side Effects Including Stomach Paralysis and Vision Loss, 6 months ago, Medpath, https://trial.medpath.com/news/e5ef868ff717e201/ozempic-faces-2-billion-in-lawsuits-over-severe-side-effects-including-stomach-paralysis-and-vision-loss

4. Lynn C. Allison, Lawsuits Against GLP-1 Makers Mount, newsmax.com, Feb 16, 2026, https://rss.newsmax.com/health/health-news/glp-1-medications-drugs/2026/02/16/id/1246287/

5. Bolt Pharmacy, Ozempic and Blood Clots: Evidence, Risk Factors and Safety Guidance, 4/2/2026, https://www.boltpharmacy.co.uk/guide/ozempic-and-blood-clots

6. Ozempic Death Lawsuit Claims [February 2026 Update] | Wrongful Death Ozempic Claims, TorHoerman Law, Jan. 15, 2026, https://www.torhoermanlaw.com/ozempic-lawsuit/ozempic-death-lawsuit/ *This is a lawfirm, the page mentions “Our law firm is currently accepting new clients for Ozempic Lawsuits, including family members and loved ones of people who have tragically passed away as a result of these weight loss medications.”

7. Chris Kenning and Austin Fast, ‘My colon blew up’: lawsuits mount over GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, USA TODAY, Feb 9, 2026, https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/consumer/glp-1-weight-loss-drug-lawsuits-injury-claims/article_51a44d3d-4161-4dd9-a2f4-f63dbb602eb0.html 

8. Ozempic Lawsuit, Miller and Zois, Attorneys at Law, *also a law-firm accepting cases. https://www.millerandzois.com/products-liability/drugs/ozempic-gallbladder-lawsuit/ 

   1. “This page will provide the latest news and updates on the Ozempic litigation, as well as our predictions about the potential settlement value of these cases.

      Ozempic lawsuits are being filed around the country. If you have an Ozempic lawsuit, call us today at 800-553-8082 or reach out to us online.”

9. Weight Loss Drug Lawsuits 2026, FDA Warnings and New Vision Loss and Stomach Paralysis Claims January 2026 Update, By All About Lawyer, Jan. 29, 2026, https://allaboutlawyer.com/weight-loss-drug-lawsuits-2026-fda-warnings-and-new-vision-loss-and-gi-injury-claims-january-2026-update/#can-i-sue-if-i-used-a-compounded-version-of-the-drug