Coroner links California student's death in London dorm to weight-loss injection

A California law student died in a London dormitory, and a coroner found her fatal cardiac arrhythmia was linked to the weight-loss drug tirzepatide.

In September 2025, 19-year-old Josephine Nasr, a second-year law student from California studying abroad, was found deceased on the bathroom floor of her University of East London dormitory. Staff uncovered an empty vial of tirzepatide, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, which she had been prescribed for weight management. Her sister had called a private healthcare provider for IV fluids after Josephine reported nausea and vomiting, but she later ceased responding, prompting a welfare check.

Coroner Graeme Irvine, citing pathologist Alan Bates, concluded that a congenital heart defect called myocardial bridging combined with an electrolyte imbalance from hypoglycemia induced by tirzepatide caused a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. The inquest noted that Josephine was otherwise healthy and had a BMI indicating overweight status. Her parents described her as joyful and community-oriented, emphasizing the tragic nature of the loss. The case raises concerns about the safety of widely used weight-loss injections.