19-year-old London student died in uni halls after taking weight loss drug

A London university student died in her halls of residence after taking weight loss medication, an inquest has heard.

19-year-old Josephine Nasr died from an irregular heart rhythm on 23rd September 2025. Security staff found her lying on the bathroom floor in her student accommodation. Emergency services were called, but pronounced her dead at the scene. An empty vial of the medication Tirzepatide was found next to her. Doctors believe that the Terzepitide and a congenital heart condition, myocardial bridging, could have caused the fatal heart rhythm.

The pathologist Dr Alan Bates said at the inquest: “She was an otherwise healthy young woman.”

Tirzepatide is known under the name Zepbound in the United States, and as Mounjaro in the UK. Josephine was prescribed the medication by a doctor in the United States in summer 2025. Her body mass index (BMI) suggested she was overweight but not obese.

On the evening of her death, she texted her family that she felt ill. She told her parents and her sister Anastasia that she had experienced nausea and vomiting. Tirzepatide can have these side effects.

The inquest heard that vomiting can lead to a sudden drop in blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia. This can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which can result in an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).

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The University of East London
(Credit: Jvdc via Creative Commons)

Josephine Nasr was from the city Corona in California. She was in her second year of studying an undergraduate degree in International Law and Legal Studies at the University of East London, and would have graduated in 2027. Josephine attended Santiago High School.

Her father George Nasr has paid tribute to her. He said: “She was full of joy and always helped others before herself. She loved travelling and the ocean.”

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Featured image of Josphine Nasr via LinkedIn.