Manufacturers of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy face increasing lawsuits from patients claiming these drugs caused a rare eye condition that can lead to sudden vision loss, amid ongoing scientific debate about the true risks.
Manufacturers of some GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes medicines are facing a growing wave of lawsuits from patients who say the drugs caused a rare eye disorder that can trigger sudden vision loss. Cairo24, citing a New York Post report, said the claims centre on non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, a condition that affects the blood supply to the front of the optic nerve.
NAION can cause abrupt, painless loss of sight, often in one eye, and there is no proven treatment that can reverse the damage once it occurs. The condition is already known to be associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea and smoking, factors that make it difficult to separate the effect of a medicine from a patient’s underlying health risks.
Scientific evidence has not settled the question of causation. A large study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2025 analysed data from more than 37 million adults with type 2 diabetes across 14 databases and found a small increase in NAION rates among people using semaglutide, the active ingredient in drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, compared with non-users. The researchers said the study was observational and could not prove that the drug directly caused the condition.
Another analysis involving millions of patients with diabetes also found a higher NAION risk among users of GLP-1 medicines, with the strongest association seen with semaglutide, though the authors noted limits in studies based on medical records. At the same time, a separate paper in JAMA Network Open found similar NAION rates between GLP-1 users and a comparison group, underscoring that the evidence remains mixed.
European regulators have already reviewed the available data and concluded that NAION should be listed as a very rare side effect of semaglutide, meaning it may affect up to one in 10,000 users. They also advised patients to seek urgent medical help if they experience sudden vision loss or a rapid decline in sight. For now, the legal claims are moving ahead while the medical debate continues, with researchers still trying to determine whether the apparent link reflects a true drug risk or the heavy burden of diabetes-related eye disease already present in this population.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
