Woman Sues Ozempic Manufacturer After Alleging Medication Led to Colon Removal: 'It Could Happen to You'

"I had no warning," Juanita Gantt claims, adding that she now lives with an ileostomy bag

A woman has filed a lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the popular diabetes drugs marketed under the the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, claiming that the drug’s labeling doesn’t adequently warn about the potential side effects.

One of those side effects, Juanita Gantt claimed on CBS Mornings, impacted her colon, which she asserts had to be removed as a result of the medication.

Novo Nordisk has responded to the claims, saying the suit is "without merit."

Gantt says she was first prescribed Wegovy, and then Ozempic, because her doctor thought she was at risk of developing diabetes. As she told CBS, the 62-year-old weighed 242 lbs.

At first, she said, "I was feeling fine. I enjoyed the days that I didn't have to worry about my appetite. I didn't have cravings. I just felt like I was doing something positive for myself.”

Related: Ozempic and Wegovy May Be Linked to Increased Risk of Rare Form of Blindness — but More Research Is Needed

But in October 2023, Gantt says her husband found her unconscious on the floor.

She told CBS that parts of her large intestine had died and needed to be removed; While recovering from surgery, she went into cardiac arrest.

She now lives with an ileostomy bag. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, it’s the result of a surgery that changes the way your body excretes waste.

“Poop exits your body through the new hole and collects in an ostomy bag that sticks to your skin,” the outlet says.

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Gantt, however, told CBS, "I had no warning that this was even a possibility.”

Semaglutide and liraglutide — the key ingredients in Ozempic, Wegovy and similar drugs — are GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can delay food digestion if taken for extended periods of time.

Last July, the medication’s potential impacts on digestion made headlines when others who took the drugs said they developed gastroparesis — or stomach paralysis — which slows the process of digestion to a harmful point.

Related: People Are Combating 'Ozempic Face' Side Effect with Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss

A representative for Novo Nordisk told PEOPLE in a comment, "We are aware of the health challenges this patient has experienced and are sympathetic to her health journey. Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines."

"However, Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in this lawsuit is without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend against these claims. GLP-1 medicines have been used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) for more than 19 years, and for the treatment of obesity for almost 10 years. This includes Novo Nordisk GLP-1 products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 13 years. Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real world evidence studies and has cumulatively over 9.5 million patient years of clinical experience."

"The known risks and benefits of semaglutide and liraglutide medicines are described in their FDA-approved product labeling. Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1 medicines when they are used as indicated and when they are taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional."

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