Saxenda, Wegovy Vision Loss Lawsuit Filed Over NAION Diagnosis

Novo Nordisk intentionally concealed risks of vision loss problems from consumers to increase profits, lawsuit claims.

A Massachusetts woman has filed a Saxenda and Wegovy lawsuit, indicating that the side effects of the weight loss drugs caused her to suffer vision loss and blurry vision in her right eye.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Jeanne Shea in New Jersey federal court on June 6, naming the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, and several of its U.S. subsidiaries, as defendants.

Both Saxenda (liraglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are part of a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which work by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar. Saxenda was first approved for weight loss in 2010, while Wegovy is a newer, higher-dose version of semaglutide originally developed for the diabetes drug Ozempic. 

Although Ozempic is only approved to treat type 2 diabetes, it has been widely prescribed off-label for weight loss, prompting manufacturer Novo Nordisk to release Wegovy in June 2021 specifically for chronic weight management.

In recent months, there have been a growing number of GLP-1 side effect lawsuits filed by users of Wegovy, Saxenda and Ozempic, claiming they developed painful gastrointestinal issues like gastroparesis, ileus and intestinal blockages.

More recently, new warnings emerged in July 2024 about potential vision-related side effects. A study by Harvard researchers found that patients taking semaglutide may have up to a sevenfold increased risk of developing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare eye condition caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve. NAION can result in sudden vision loss, blurred vision or even permanent blindness.

These findings appeared to be confirmed by a study published in medRxiv in January, and European regulators issued a warning this month that the condition could affect as many as 1 in 10,000 Wegovy users.

Shea’s lawsuit indicates she began using Saxenda in December 2022 and continued to do so until May 2023. In June of that year, she began using Wegovy and continued to do so until January 2024.

According to the complaint, Shea began experiencing the side effects of NAION as a result, resulting in vision loss and blurred vision in her right eye. This has led to permanent and severe vision problems, the lawsuit indicates.

The injuries could have been avoided if the manufacturer had provided adequate warnings to consumers and the medical community about Saxenda and Wegovy NAION risks, Shea states. The lawsuit claims the benefits of the drugs are few, with limited weight loss that returns once the consumer stops using the medications.

“Defendants understood the vast financial potential of marketing a weight-loss medication in the United States where obesity rates were on the rise despite the culture’s obsession with losing weight and being thin,” the lawsuit notes. “Defendants’ efforts to conceal (or minimize) the risks associated with taking their drugs, including the risk of developing NAION, were intended to create the impression that these were ‘magic pills’ to help a person lose weight.”

Shea’s complaint presents claims of failure to warn, breach of warranty, fraudulent concealment/fraud by omission, fraudulent/intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, strict product liability misrepresentation, negligent design, design defect, negligence, negligent undertaking, and seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

GLP-1 Stomach Paralysis Lawsuits

Despite increased filings of NAION vision loss lawsuits linked to Wegovy, Saxenda and similar drugs in recent months, most of the focus on GLP-1 medications have been centered on thousands of gastroparesis lawsuits brought by former users of the medications, each presenting similar allegations that users were left with painful and debilitating stomach problems, as well as stomach paralysis.

Plaintiffs in these cases argue that debilitating gastrointestinal side effects could have been avoided if the drug makers had not placed profits over patient safety, and provided false and misleading information to patients and the medical community.

Given common questions of fact and law raised in Ozempic lawsuits, Wegovy lawsuits and Mounjaro lawsuits filed throughout the federal court system, a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) has been established before U.S. District Judge Karen S. Marston in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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