Ozempic Injection Lawsuit Claims Diabetes Medication Caused Vision Loss

Man started suffering severe vision problems after receiving Ozempic injections for less than one year.

An Arizona man has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that Ozempic side effects caused him to suffer sudden, severe and permanent vison loss.

James Seybels brought the complaint (PDF) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on September 15, naming Ozempic manufacturers Novo Nordisk A/S and Novo Nordisk Inc. as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges Novo Nordisk knew or should have known Ozempic was linked to non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), but failed to adequately warn patients or doctors about the risk.

Seybels and others pursuing similar claims argue that earlier warnings could have prompted doctors to monitor patients for warning signs and discontinue the medication before permanent vision damage occurred.

Ozempic Vision Loss

Ozempic (semaglutide) is part of a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. The class also includes Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity, Rybelsus, Victoza and other widely prescribed diabetes and weight loss medications.

Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 drugs surged in popularity after they were also found to promote significant weight loss, leading to widespread use in the United States and worldwide.

However, a July 2024 study linked GLP-1 use to vision loss caused by NAION, which occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced and can result in sudden, often irreversible vision loss. The study found the strongest association among users of semaglutide-based drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

Seybels joins dozens of other Ozempic vision loss lawsuits now being pursued in federal courts nationwide. The claims similarly allege Novo Nordisk failed to warn doctors about the risk of NAION or recommend monitoring that plaintiffs say could have helped prevent permanent vision loss.

Ozempic Injection NAION Allegations

According to the lawsuit, Seybels began using Ozempic in October 2024, for the treatment of his diabetes. Less than a year later, his visual acuity began to degrade.

In September 2025, Seybels went to healthcare professionals about the continuing vision loss in his left eye and was diagnosed with NAION. He was then taken off Ozempic.

Months later, his right eye began giving him problems, resulting in another NAION diagnosis for that eye in July 2026. The eyesight loss in both eyes is expected to be permanent.

Seybels indicates that the loss of vision has also led to permanent life changes.

“Plaintiff will never see clearly again as a result of Plaintiff’s usage of Ozempic. Defendants knew or should have known that use of semaglutide could lead to severe and disabling injuries suffered by Plaintiff and numerous other patients.”

– James Seybels v. Novo Nordisk A/S et al.

The filing indicates the defendants have known about potential Ozempic vision problems since 2019, years before Seybels was prescribed the injections, yet the companies never issued an updated label warning. Such warnings could have led to doctors detecting his vision loss earlier, taking Seybels off the medications and saving his vision, the lawsuit claims.

Seybels raises allegations of failure to warn, design defect, negligent failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and marketing, breach of warranty and violations of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and consumer protection act. He seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Ozempic NAION Lawsuits

The complaint will be consolidated with similar Ozempic NAION lawsuits in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as part of an MDL before U.S. District Karen Marston for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

The early proceedings are focused on issues that could impact a large number of claims, including whether plaintiffs can establish that GLP-1 medications are capable of causing NAION and whether certain failure-to-warn claims may be preempted by federal law.

Once the litigation has cleared those hurdles, the court is expected to move toward selecting representative cases for potential bellwether trials. While the results of those trials would not be binding on other plaintiffs, they could help the parties evaluate the strength and value of similar claims, influencing future Ozempic and Mounjaro vision loss settlement negotiations.

Judge Marston is separately overseeing another GLP-1 multidistrict litigation involving stomach paralysis and other gastrointestinal injuries. Although the cases involve many of the same drugs, they are being handled independently from the vision loss claims.

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