Death of law student, 19, linked to weight-loss jab as tragic symptoms shared
A law student’s death has been linked to a weight-loss drug which doctors think caused a fatal heart rhythm.
Josephine Nasr, 19, a second-year student at the University of East London, was found dead in her halls on 23 September last year, just days after returning to the UK from her family home in Corona, California.
An inquest at East London Coroner’s Court heard that Josephine had been prescribed tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound in the US and Mounjaro in the UK, despite her BMI indicating she was overweight rather than obese.
On the evening of her death, Josephine spoke to her parents, George Nasr and Lorin Mansour, and sister Anastasia at around 8.30pm. She told them she was suffering from nausea and vomiting, both known side effects of tirzepatide.
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Concerned that she could become dehydrated, Anastasia arranged for a private nurse to visit Josephine and administer IV fluids.
When repeated calls went unanswered, she also contacted university security and requested a welfare check.
Security staff accompanied the nurse to Josephine's room and, after receiving no response, entered the flat. They discovered the teenager lying on the bathroom floor.
Emergency services attended, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police later found an empty vial of tirzepatide in her room. Josephine had been prescribed the drug by a US doctor during the summer of 2025.
A post-mortem revealed she also had myocardial bridging, a congenital heart condition.
Pathologist Dr Alan Bates told the inquest that vomiting associated with tirzepatide can contribute to hypoglycemia and an electrolyte imbalance, potentially causing an abnormal heart rhythm. Josephine's underlying heart condition may have increased that risk.
He described her as an ‘otherwise healthy young woman’.
“She was full of joy and always helped others before herself,” George said.
“She loved travelling and the ocean.”
“We are part of the Coptic Church, and the way Josephine was willing to help people showed that she lived her faith,” Lorin added.
Coroner Graeme Irvine said that even if Anastasia had been able to get hold of security earlier, it was unlikely that it would have made a difference
“This is a terrible tragedy and the fact that it happened to someone who was thousands of miles away from her family only made it worse. Please accept my sincerest condolences,” he said.
Nasr would have been set to graduate in international law and legal studies next year.
Anish Vij