Neurocrine's Vykat XR linked to seven deaths and 100+ serious adverse events since FDA approval

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A group of physicians and experts in Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare disease that causes an insatiable desire to eat, on Tuesday notified clinicians of a series of patient deaths and cases of severe side effects potentially associated with Vykat XR, a newly approved drug sold by Neurocrine Biosciences.

Vykat was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in March 2025 to curb the intense hunger sensation in children and adults with Prader-Willi syndrome, or PWS. But since its clearance, seven people prescribed the drug have died, according to the FDA’s Adverse Event Monitoring System. Additionally, more than 100 reports of serious adverse events, mostly cases of patients being hospitalized for swelling, respiratory, and heart complications, have been reported to the FDA.

“The intention of this statement is to increase awareness of the risks for people with PWS when starting Vykat XR,” the physicians and experts wrote. Neither the deaths nor the severe side effects have been definitively linked to the drug, the group added.

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