Ozempic NAION Lawsuit Filed Over Sudden, Permanent Vision Loss

Woman’s vision suddenly declined after less than two years of receiving Ozempic injections for the treatment of her diabetes.

A Florida woman has filed a product liability lawsuit claiming she suddenly lost her eyesight after being prescribed Ozempic to treat her diabetes.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Caryn Schollmeyer in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on July 28, naming the manufacturers, Novo Nordisk Inc. and Novo Nordisk A/S, as defendants.

As a result of using Ozempic for less than two years, Schollmeyer alleges she developed non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), resulting in permanent vision loss.

Ozempic NAION Risks

Ozempic (semaglutide) is a member of a class of diabetes treatments known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, particularly after the drugs were linked to significant weight loss and other metabolic improvements. This led to the class being expanded into weight loss medications, with Novo Nordisk fielding a diet version of Ozempic called Wegovy, and its competitor Eli Lilly releasing a weight loss version of its diabetes drug Mounjaro known as Zepbound.

However, lawsuits began being filed following the publication of a study in July 2024 linking GLP-1 use to NAION, which is caused by a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. Ozempic and Wegovy were associated with a seven-fold increased risk in the condition when compared to other drugs. Research has also seen increased risks across most of the GLP-1 class of medications.

In light of these concerns, Schollmeyer is one of dozens of plaintiffs who have filed Ozempic NAION lawsuits, each alleging the companies placed profits ahead of patient safety by failing to adequately test GLP-1 drugs’ side effects.

Ozempic Vision Loss Allegations

According to the complaint, Schollmeyer was prescribed Ozempic for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in September 2019. She continued using the drug until January 2021, until she experienced sudden vision loss.

The lawsuit notes that there was no label warning tying Ozempic use to the risk of NAION, despite the manufacturer allegedly having longstanding knowledge of the potential vision risks. She points out that Ozempic’s prescribing information has been revised numerous times since approval, but none of the updates warned physicians or patients about the risk of NAION.

“According to the Drugs@FDA website, the label for Ozempic has been updated on at least thirteen (13) occasions since 2017, with the most recent update on January 28, 2025. Despite the fact there are at least fourteen (14) iterations of the Ozempic label, Defendant’s labels have not contained any warning or any information whatsoever on the increased propensity of Ozempic to cause NAION and permanent vision loss suffered by Plaintiff.”

– Caryn Schollmeyer v. Novo Nordisk Inc. et al.

Schollmeyer states that her vision loss is permanent and that she will “never see clearly again as a result of her usage of Ozempic.”

The filing presents claims of failure to warn, design defect, negligent failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and marketing, breach of warranty, and violation of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices/Consumer Fraud Act. It seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Ozempic NAION Lawsuits

Schollmeyer’s complaint will be consolidated with other Ozempic NAION lawsuits in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before U.S. District Judge Karen Marston for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). Judge Marston, who is also overseeing a similar MDL involving GLP-1 stomach paralysis lawsuits, is expected to order attorneys to prepare a number of representative cases for potential bellwether trials.

These early test trials are designed to give both sides an opportunity to see how juries respond to evidence and testimony likely to be repeated throughout the litigation. The outcomes of these bellwether trials could provide the basis for a potential Ozempic NAION settlement agreement.

Before those trials can begin, the parties must complete a discovery process in which they collect evidence, records and testimony in support of their arguments. This involves both sides exchanging clinical trial data, patient use histories, medical reports and other relevant documents, as well as taking depositions from expert witnesses.

However, Judge Marston is expected to first schedule bellwether trials for thousands of GLP-1 stomach paralysis lawsuits. These claims allege Ozempic, Wegovy and similar GLP-1 medications caused severe gastrointestinal injuries, including gastroparesis, intestinal blockages and other digestive complications. Although many of the same manufacturers are defendants in both proceedings, the vision loss and gastrointestinal cases remain separate MDLs involving different injuries, scientific evidence and legal issues.

If the bellwether trials end without the GLP-1 lawsuits being resolved, federal cases may be remanded back to their original federal courts for individual trial dates.

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