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US patients who experienced sudden vision loss after taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound, for weight loss and diabetes are filing a series of lawsuits against the drug manufacturers.
According to the US daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 19th, lawsuits seeking damages are underway in the United States against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, alleging that patients developed non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) after taking GLP-1 drugs.
NAION is a condition where sudden vision loss occurs due to reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, and damaged vision often does not recover permanently.
A US personal injury law firm has filed more than 90 lawsuits against Novo Nordisk in a New Jersey state court since 2025 on behalf of patients who developed NAION while taking Ozempic or Wegovy.
Separately, lawsuits have also been filed in a federal court in Philadelphia alleging that GLP-1 treatments caused NAION and that the companies failed to adequately warn of the related risks.
However, the causal relationship between GLP-1 treatments and NAION has not yet been clearly established.
Some studies have shown that taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may increase the risk of developing NAION by about twofold compared to a control group that did not take the drug.
However, even if the risk doubles, the absolute incidence remains low, with estimates suggesting that on average about 2 out of every 10,000 people taking the drug would contract NAION.
Conversely, a study by an ophthalmology research organization found that the risk of onset increased by about eightfold.
On the other hand, a large-scale study funded by Novo Nordisk found no evidence that GLP-1 treatments increase the risk of developing NAION.
The conflicting research results are attributed to the fact that many patients using GLP-1 treatments already have conditions that inherently increase the risk of NAION, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first identified a potential link between GLP-1 treatments and NAION in late 2024 and has been conducting an investigation, though it has not yet added related warning labels to the products.
In contrast, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded in June of last year that NAION is a "very rare side effect" of semaglutide and recommended adding a warning to the product information in Europe.
In Denmark, where Novo Nordisk is headquartered, 27 patients who developed NAION after taking Ozempic or Wegovy have received more than 1.5 million dollars (approx. 2.1 billion KRW) in compensation, with an additional 38 cases under review.
Such compensation is part of a government system that compensates victims for rare and serious drug side effects, with the independent Danish Patient Compensation Association reviewing eligibility, while Novo Nordisk is not involved in this process.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are fighting the lawsuits, stating that a causal relationship proving the drugs cause NAION has not been established.
Experts point out that while the risk itself is low, careful judgment is required depending on the patient's condition.
In particular, they note that for patients who need the medicine to treat diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the therapeutic benefits are likely to outweigh the risks, but for simple weight loss purposes, the risks and benefits need to be weighed.
The American Optometric Association has been recommending that patients starting GLP-1 treatment undergo an eye examination to check the condition of their optic nerve starting in 2025.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
