Researchers have called for an urgent assessment of a possible link between semaglutide and suicidality based on a study of a WHO adverse event database.

Their study, published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday, found a higher reporting rate for suicidal ideation with semaglutide compared with other medications in the database (odds ratio 1.45).

Liraglutide, another GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA), did not raise the same safety signal, said the multinational research team.

The finding remained statistically significant when semaglutide was compared specifically with dapagliflozin, metformin or orlistat.