Ozempic Vision Loss Problems Appear to be Confirmed in New Study, But Risks Linked to Most Diabetes Treatments

Researchers found that most type 2 diabetes treatments increased the risk of NAION, not just side effects of Ozempic

Following the publication of several studies in recent months, which warned about a link between side effects of Ozempic and vision loss, new data appears to confirm the problems, but suggests that such incidents are not as common as previously believed.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins and the National Eye Institute in Baltimore published new findings on February 20 in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology, indicating that they have found new evidence linking the popular diabetes drug to an increased risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

Ozempic (semaglutide) was approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes in 2017, and is part of a new class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. However, amid aggressive advertisements that promoted the weight loss benefits, Ozempic has been increasingly prescribed as a diet drug in recent years, making it a blockbuster treatment that is now used by millions of Americans.

As a result of the popularity of Ozempic for weight loss, Novo Nordisk has introduced a higher dose version under the brand name Wegovy, which is specifically approved as a diet drug. Both drugs contain the same active ingredient.

Ozempic Vision Concerns

In July 2024, researchers from Harvard published a study in JAMA Ophthalmology, indicating that users may be seven times more likely to develop NAION when using Ozempic and Wegovy.

In December, regulators in the European Union announced they were launching an investigation into the Ozempic vision loss problems, due to growing evidence of NAION.

In this latest study, a research team led by Dr. Cindy X. Cal, conducted a large multicenter retrospective involving data on 37.1 million adults with type 2 diabetes between December 1, 2017 to December 31, 2023. In addition to Ozempic and Wegovy, subjects also were given other GLP-1 medications like Trulicity and Byetta, and diabetes drugs from other classes of medications, like Jardiance and Januvia.

According to the findings, the incidence rate for NAION was 14.5 per 100,000 person-years among Ozempic and Wegovy users. However, the researchers found that this was not very different from most non-GLP-1 medications. Overall, the researchers estimated semaglutide results in a 32% increased risk of NAION for new users.

“In conclusion, in this retrospective study, we identified a small increased risk of NAION among patients with T2D who were exposed to semaglutide, smaller than that previously reported,” the researchers determined. “Additional studies that incorporate ophthalmic risk factors or examine dose-dependent effects, eg, are needed to investigate a potential causal relationship between semaglutide and NAION. In the absence of a known mechanism for this association, we urge clinicians to weigh the concern for an increased risk of a rare but potentially blinding eye condition with the many therapeutic benefits of semaglutide.”

Ozempic Side Effects Lawsuits

Even before studies into vision problems, Ozempic and similar drugs have been linked to the risk of severe gastrointestinal complications, including intestinal blockages and stomach paralysis. Now, thousands of former users are pursuing Ozempic lawsuits and Wegovy lawsuits against Novo Nordisk, each raising similar allegations that the manufacturers placed a desire for increased profits above consumer safety by failing to research and disclose gastroparesis side effects users may experience. These most recent findings could result in a new wave of Ozempic and Wegovy vision loss lawsuits for former users diagnosed with NAION, which results from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve.

Given common questions of fact and law raised in complaints filed throughout the federal court system, all GLP-1 lawsuits have been centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where they are currently being overseen by U.S. District Judge Karen Marston.

Judge Marston has directed the parties to focus in the early stages of the litigation on “cross cutting” issues, which will impact a large number of claims. This includes discovery and pretrial motions regarding general causation evidence about the link between Ozempic and ileus, gastroparesis and other injuries, as well as questions about whether the claims are preempted by federal law and whether plaintiffs will be required to provide specific testing evidence to establish they suffered an injury.

Following the resolution of those issues, Judge Marston is expected to direct the parties to select representative GLP-1 lawsuits for early bellwether test trials, to help gauge how juries will respond to evidence and expert testimony likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.

While the outcomes of such early test trials are not binding on other claims, they could help potentially facilitate a GLP-1 settlement agreement that would avoid the need for each individual case to be set for trial in the future.