Submitted by aml95 on Tue, 16/12/2025 - 14:25
A review article published in Clinical Science by Professor Sue Ozanne and Dr Laura Dearden looks at the current literature on the effects of certain weight-loss drugs - GLP1-R agonists, such as Semaglutide and Tirzepatide - in pregnancy on maternal and offspring health and explores the potential broader impacts of their use during the perinatal period.
GLP1-R agonists are not currently licensed for use in pregnancy because of concerns from studies in pre-clinical models about negative impacts on fetal growth and development. However, emerging data from an increasing number of women having unplanned pregnancies while using GLP1-R agonists, shows the accidental exposure may be safe in the short-term. More research is needed to establish if this is the case and to address medium - long term effects and therefore if these agonists could be considered as a treatment for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or to break the inter-generational transmission of obesity from mothers to offspring.
Reference: Laura Dearden, Susan E. Ozanne; Incretin receptor agonism during pregnancy: implications for mother and baby. Clin Sci (Lond) 10 December 2025; 139 (23): 1597–1610. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20258493
The Ozanne-Dearden group are working with collaborators at the University of Edinburgh who are conducting a survey of women who have had a positive pregnancy test within 6 months of taking a weight loss drug. Please consider taking the survey.
