American patients who claim they lost their vision after taking obesity and diabetes treatments such as Wegovy, which belong to the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist class, have filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies.
According to the U.S. Wall Street Journal, lawsuits demanding damages are underway in the U.S. after patients developed non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) following the use of GLP-1 receptor drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound.
The pharmaceutical companies facing the lawsuits are Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is a condition in which blood flow to the optic nerve decreases, leading to a sudden decline or loss of vision.
In some cases, the damaged vision does not permanently recover.
Michelle Pennel, a 53-year-old plaintiff in the lawsuit, told the media that while sitting at her desk, she experienced symptoms of her right eye feeling heavy and her vision becoming blurry.
She stated that her peripheral vision suddenly narrowed, making it look as though she was looking through a fishbowl where she could only see straight ahead while her vision to the right and bottom was blocked.
She, who had started taking Ozempic two months prior to treat type 2 diabetes, was diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy by her doctor.
Her attending physician recommended that she immediately stop taking Ozempic to protect her remaining vision.
Although some study results suggest that the risk of developing ischemic optic neuropathy may increase among patients taking certain GLP-1 receptor drugs, whether the drugs cause the condition or the exact causal relationship has not yet been clearly established.
The pharmaceutical companies are refuting the claims, stating that there is insufficient evidence that the drugs are the cause.
The European Medicines Agency determined in June of last year that non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is a "very rare side effect" of semaglutide and recommended adding related warnings to the product information for semaglutide-containing medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Related warnings or information have also been attached in the U.K., Japan, and Australia, and in Denmark, compensation has even been paid to patients who suffered from non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy after taking Ozempic or Wegovy.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognized the possibility in late 2024 and is currently conducting an investigation.
No separate warning has yet been attached to the product labels in the U.S.
(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Lee Dain | Graphics by Sumin Lee | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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