The sudden death of a California law student studying abroad in London has been linked to a popular weight loss drug, an inquest at the East London Coroner’s Court was told. Josephine Nasr, 19, died of cardiac arrhythmia in her room at the University of East London in September 2025.
Nasr, a second-year law student, had been prescribed Tirzepatide by her doctor in California. University staff discovered an empty vial of the medication when they found her in her dorm room on Sept. 23, 2025. Nasr had a body mass index that indicated she was overweight but not obese. The inquest heard that she died just a week after visiting her family in Corona, California.
According to reports, Nasr had informed her family that she was experiencing nausea and vomiting around 8:30 p.m. on the evening of her death. Her sister, concerned about potential dehydration, arranged for private healthcare to administer IV fluids. However, when Nasr stopped responding, her sister contacted the university for a welfare check. University security and a nurse found Nasr unresponsive on her bathroom floor.
A paramedic from the London Ambulance Service pronounced Nasr dead at the scene. The Mayo Clinic lists vomiting and nausea as potential side effects of Tirzepatide. The drug is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, marketed under the brand names Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight management and obstructive sleep apnea.
An autopsy conducted by pathologist Alan Bates revealed that Nasr had a congenital heart condition called myocardial bridging, which can lead to arrhythmia. The inquest heard that the vomiting induced by Tirzepatide could have caused hypoglycemia, leading to an electrolyte imbalance that also contributes to dangerous arrhythmias. This stress on her system may have exacerbated her pre-existing heart condition.
Bates described Nasr as “an otherwise healthy young woman.” Coroner Graeme Irvine concluded that Nasr's cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia, stemming from myocardial bridging and an electrolyte imbalance caused by hypoglycemia, which was a result of the prescribed Tirzepatide.
Her father, George Nasr, remembered his daughter as someone who was “full of joy” and “always helped others before herself.” He also noted her love for travel and the ocean. Her mother added that Nasr’s willingness to help others reflected her faith within the Coptic Church.