MHRA warns women on “skinny jabs” to use effective contraception

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a warning to women taking popular medicines for weight loss and diabetes, sometimes referred to as “skinny jabs,” to use effective contraception while taking these medicines and, in some cases, for up to two months between stopping the medicine and trying to get pregnant.

These medicines must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to get pregnant, or during breastfeeding. Anyone who gets pregnant while using them should speak to their healthcare professional and stop the medicine as soon as possible. This is because there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby.

Effective contraception includes oral (the pill) and non-oral (the implant, coil or condoms) forms of contraception. However, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), marketed by Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in those who are overweight. Therefore, those taking Mounjaro who are overweight and are using an oral form of contraception are advised to also use a non-oral form of contraception. This only applies to those taking Mounjaro and is especially important for the four weeks after starting Mounjaro and after any dose increase.

This advice, which is already in the patient leaflets that come with the medicine, is just one of the reminders in the latest guidance from the MHRA on the safe use of “GLP-1 medicines” known by the brand names Mounjaro, as well as Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s (NOV: N) Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy(semaglutide), Saxenda (liraglutide) and Victoza (liraglutide) obesity and diabetes brands.