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A nurse's death has been linked to the NHS-approved weight loss drug Mounjaro

BBC Susan McGowan smiles at the camera - she has blonde hair in a short bob, black-rimmed glasses and a light gray T-shirtBBC

Susan McGowan died two weeks after taking tirzepatide – brand name Mounjaro

The death of a North Lanarkshire nurse has been linked to the use of a weight loss drug which was recently approved for use by the NHS.

Susan McGowan, 58, took two low-dose injections of tirzepatide, known by the brand name Mounjaro, over the course of about two weeks before her death on September 4.

Her death certificate, seen by the BBC, listed the immediate cause of death as multi-organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis – but “taking prescribed tirzepatide” was also listed as a triggering cause.

It is believed to be the first death in the UK officially linked to the drug

Susan McGowan smiles at the camera. This is an older photo of her taken at Monklands Hospital while wearing her medical gown and ID card. She wears her hair back.

Ms McGowan worked at Monklands Hospital for 30 years

Ms McGowan worked as a nurse at University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie for more than 30 years.

The popular bed manager had often discussed her weight-loss attempts with close friends, but the advent of new weight-loss vaccinations seemed to offer her a better chance of success.

After researching Mounjaro and seeking medical advice, she purchased a prescription through a registered online pharmacy.

The drug usually costs between £150 and £200 for a four-week supply and can be purchased from any registered pharmacy in the UK.

Days after the second injection, she started feeling severe stomach pains and feeling unwell, so she went to the emergency department in Monklands – where her colleagues fought to save her life.

Jade Campbell, Ms McGowan's niece, was with her when she died.

Jade Campbell, who has long dark hair, sits on her gray couch at home and looks into the camera with a neutral expression. She is hosting a funeral program for her aunt. She is wearing a peach-colored blazer with rolled-up sleeves, a black top and black pants.

Jade Campbell said her aunt was kind, generous and lively

She said: “Susan has always had a bit of extra weight but there have never been any health concerns. She was not taking any other medications. She was healthy.

“Susan was such a bubbly person. She was really generous, she was really kind and she was the life of the party – a big personality. They said she laughed the most in the hospital.

Ms Campbell was told by doctors that her aunt's kidneys were not functioning properly. Days later, she fell into a coma and her organs began to fail.

“It happened so quickly,” she said. “I'm still thinking, 'Did that actually happen?'”

Tirzepatide belongs to a group of weight loss medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which keep patients fuller for longer.

In 2023, it was approved for use as a weight loss aid in the United Kingdom by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

This included use on the NHS, although the drug is currently only prescribed to a small number of patients on the NHS due to factors such as cost and availability.

The MHRA operates the Yellow Card system, where any member of the public or healthcare professional can submit reports of suspected side effects to medicines.

Public data is only available through May of this year, but between January and May 2024 there were 208 reports of tirzepatide related to the yellow card, including 31 serious reactions and one suspected death of a man in his 60s.

Ms McGowan's death is too recent to be included in these dates.

Susan McGowan with her niece Jade Campbell at her wedding - the two have their arms around each other and stand in front of a white balloon arch. Ms. McGowan has short blonde hair and is wearing a bright blue dress with a V-neck and long sleeves. Ms. Campbell wears her long dark hair in waves with a white veil. Her wedding dress is bright white and has a keyhole neckline.

Mrs McGowan with her niece Jade Campbell at her wedding

Dr. Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, said new drugs such as tirzepatide will be monitored more intensively to ensure new safety issues are identified promptly.

She said: “Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of the affected person. Patient safety is our top priority and no drug would be approved if it does not meet our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.”

“We have robust safety monitoring and monitoring systems for all healthcare products.

“Based on current evidence, the benefits of GLP-1 RAs outweigh the potential risks when used for the approved indications.”

Mounjaro maker Lilly said patient safety was the company's top priority.

A spokesperson said: “We are committed to continually monitoring, evaluating and reporting safety information for all Lilly medicines.”

“Mounjaro was approved based on a comprehensive assessment of the medicine’s benefits and risks, and we inform regulators around the world about the benefits and risks of all our medicines to ensure prescribers have the most up-to-date information.”

Are weight loss medications safe?

Semaglutide, known by the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, is also a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Since 2019, there have been 23 suspected semaglutide-related deaths in the UK through the Yellow Card system.

These drugs have passed the clinical trials required for approval in the UK and have been greeted with caution by those working to combat obesity.

Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow and chair of the British government's Obesity Mission, said it was difficult to establish “cause and effect” in individual cases where patients died after taking the drugs.

Prof. Naveed Sattar sits at his desk, the computer directly behind him - he looks into the camera and smiles. He wears a structured gray blazer and a purple gingham shirt. He is bald and wears thin glasses.

Prof Naveed Sattar says many people could benefit from approved weight loss medications

He said: “Studies are very robust in establishing the certainty that the drugs generally have significant benefits that outweigh the risks.”

“There is enough evidence that these medications produce strong and meaningful weight loss and that the side effect profiles are generally fine for the vast majority of people.

“The reality is that we urgently need to help many people with an extremely high BMI lose weight with these medications, which offer numerous benefits, and we have not had such tools for many years. There are many people, roughly one in four to one in five adults in the UK, who could benefit from these medicines.”

Tirzepatide recently became the subject of a national debate when the British government announced plans to use it Make it accessible to the unemployed to help them reintegrate into work.

The government is working with manufacturer Mounjaro to carry out a five-year trial in Greater Manchester.

Almost 250,000 people are expected to receive the jab over the next three years as part of the trial and Health Minister Wes Streeting has described the jabs as “game-changing”.

But Ms Campbell believes it is not the right time and hopes the UK government will reconsider the decision.

She said: “I think you would trust anything backed by the government. I would ask you to speak to your GP about such things first. There may be another option you should consider before starting weight loss injections.

BBC News asked the Department of Health and Social Care whether it would review its decision in light of Ms McGowan's death.

The British government declined to comment.

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