GLP-1 Blindness Lawsuits: Vision Loss and NAION After Ozempic, Wegovy and Other GLP-1 Drugs
Did you experience sudden or permanent vision loss after taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound or another GLP-1 medication?
A growing body of medical research has examined a possible connection between GLP-1 medications and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a serious optic-nerve injury that can cause sudden and sometimes permanent loss of vision.
Federal lawsuits are now pending on behalf of people who allege that GLP-1 medications caused NAION and that drug manufacturers failed to adequately warn patients and physicians about the risk.
If you experienced significant vision loss after taking a GLP-1 medication, Smith McBroom can evaluate the circumstances of your injury and determine whether you may have a potential claim.
What is NAION?
NAION(opens in new tab) occurs when blood flow to part of the optic nerve is interrupted or reduced, damaging the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.
The condition frequently causes sudden, painless vision loss, often in one eye. Symptoms can include:
1. Blurred or cloudy vision;
2. Loss of part of the visual field;
3. Dimmed or distorted vision;
4. Difficulty seeing above or below a particular point; and
5. Significant or permanent loss of sight.
For some people, the consequences can be life-changing. Vision loss can affect the ability to drive, work, read, use a computer, care for family members and perform ordinary daily activities.
Unlike many temporary medication side effects, damage caused by NAION may be permanent.
What is Ozempic and how does semaglutide work?
Ozempic(opens in new tab) is a prescription medication containing semaglutide, a type of drug known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Semaglutide works in several ways, including increasing insulin release when blood sugar is elevated, slowing digestion and helping regulate appetite.
Semaglutide is also the active ingredient in Wegovy, which is approved for weight management and certain other uses, and Rybelsus, an oral medication used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Other GLP-1 medications include Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity and Saxenda.
As the use of these medications has increased, researchers and regulators have continued to evaluate reports of serious complications, including vision loss and NAION.
Is semaglutide linked to NAION?
Researchers have increasingly examined whether semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications are associated with an increased risk of NAION.
A 2024 JAMA Ophthalmology study(opens in new tab) reported a significantly higher rate of NAION among patients prescribed semaglutide compared with patients receiving certain non-GLP-1 medications.
Subsequent studies have continued to examine the association.
A 2025 JAMA Ophthalmology study(opens in new tab) involving millions of patients with type 2 diabetes found a modest increase in NAION associated with semaglutide use.
Other studies and reviews have likewise reported an association between semaglutide use and NAION, although estimates of the degree of risk have varied.
No individual study proves that semaglutide caused a particular person’s vision loss. Observational research can identify an association, but an individual claim still requires careful evaluation of the medication history, diagnosis, timing and possible alternative causes.
The developing medical literature has nevertheless produced enough concern that physicians, regulators and courts are continuing to examine the issue.
What has the FDA said about GLP-1 medications and NAION?
The FDA has also identified NAION as a potential safety concern involving GLP-1 receptor agonists.
In its October–December 2024 safety-signal report, the FDA identified non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy as a potential serious risk associated with a number of GLP-1 medications, including:
1. Ozempic;
2. Wegovy;
3. Rybelsus;
4. Mounjaro;
5. Zepbound;
6. Trulicity; and
7. Saxenda.
The FDA stated that it was evaluating whether regulatory action was necessary(opens in new tab).
Current prescribing information for Ozempic also contains warnings concerning diabetic retinopathy complications and advises patients to contact their physician if they experience changes in vision.
The FDA’s review does not establish that every person who developed NAION while using a GLP-1 medication developed the condition because of the drug.
NAION has other recognized risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, smoking and high cholesterol. Those factors are among the reasons an individual case requires careful medical and legal evaluation.
What is the status of GLP-1 blindness lawsuits?
Federal lawsuits alleging NAION and serious vision loss from GLP-1 medications have been consolidated for coordinated pretrial proceedings in MDL No. 3163 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The litigation involves claims concerning medications including:
1. Ozempic;
2. Wegovy;
3. Rybelsus;
4. Mounjaro;
5. Zepbound;
6. Trulicity; and
7. Saxenda.
Plaintiffs allege, among other things, that the medications caused NAION and that the manufacturers failed to provide adequate warnings concerning the risk.
Claims asserted in the litigation include failure to warn, design defect, breach of warranty and related product-liability theories.
The federal court is overseeing discovery and other pretrial proceedings addressing issues that apply across large numbers of GLP-1 vision-loss cases.
Importantly, the existence of this litigation does not mean that every person who used a GLP-1 medication and later developed an eye condition has a valid claim. The diagnosis, timing, medication history and potential alternative causes all matter.
Who should consider having a GLP-1 vision-loss claim evaluated?
You should consider speaking with an attorney if you:
1. Took Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity, Saxenda or another GLP-1 medication;
2. Subsequently developed sudden or significant vision loss;
3. Were diagnosed with NAION or another serious optic-nerve injury; or
4. Experienced unexplained permanent vision loss after beginning the medication.
The timing between use of the medication and the onset of vision problems can be particularly important.
Even if you have another medical condition associated with NAION—such as diabetes or high blood pressure—that does not necessarily mean there is no potential claim.
Those factors must be evaluated together with your medication history, ophthalmology records and the circumstances surrounding the onset of your vision loss.
What evidence is important in a GLP-1 NAION case?
These cases depend heavily on medical documentation. Important evidence may include:
1. Pharmacy and prescription records establishing which GLP-1 medication you took and when;
2. Records showing the dosage and duration of treatment;
3. Ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology records;
4. Testing confirming NAION or other optic-nerve damage;
5. Records documenting when the vision loss began;
6. Medical records concerning other potential NAION risk factors;
7. Documentation showing changes in vision over time; and
8. Evidence of how the vision loss has affected your employment, independence and everyday life.
The federal court overseeing the GLP-1 NAION litigation has specifically addressed discovery concerning proof of use and proof of diagnosis, underscoring the importance of establishing both the medication history and the actual eye injury.
Why should you speak with an attorney now?
Drug-injury litigation can involve complicated questions of medical causation, pharmaceutical labeling, FDA regulatory history, scientific studies, manufacturer documents and state-law deadlines.
Waiting can also create problems.
Medical and pharmacy records can become harder to obtain, witnesses’ memories can fade, and legal deadlines may expire even while federal litigation continues.
An attorney evaluating a GLP-1 vision-loss case can investigate:
1. Whether your diagnosis is consistent with the injuries involved in the federal litigation;
2. Which GLP-1 medication you used and which manufacturer may be responsible;
3. Whether the timing between GLP-1 use and the onset of NAION supports further investigation;
4. Whether other medical conditions provide an alternative explanation for the vision loss;
5. What medical, pharmacy and other records should be preserved;
6. How the vision loss has affected your work, independence and quality of life; and
7. What legal deadlines may apply to your potential claim.
Serious vision loss deserves serious investigation
When vision loss is permanent, the case is about considerably more than a diagnosis in a medical record.
It may mean losing the ability to drive, read, work, travel independently, participate in activities or perform ordinary tasks that were previously taken for granted.
The impact may extend well beyond the person who lost vision. Family members may need to provide transportation, assistance and care. Careers may be disrupted. Independence may be permanently diminished.
Those consequences matter when evaluating a serious injury claim.
Why Smith McBroom?
At Smith McBroom, PLLC, we represent people facing serious injuries and complicated claims that require careful investigation, careful analysis and the ability to take a case through litigation when necessary.
We understand that a serious injury case cannot be evaluated simply by identifying a diagnosis.
The important questions include what happened, why it happened, whether another party may be legally responsible, and what the injury has taken away from the person who suffered it.
In evaluating a potential GLP-1 vision-loss case, we examine the medical evidence, medication history, developing scientific research, regulatory history and the full effect the injury has had on the client’s life.
If the evidence supports moving forward, we are prepared to pursue the case through litigation.
Experienced vision loss after Ozempic, Wegovy or another GLP-1 medication?
If you developed NAION, sudden vision loss or significant optic-nerve damage after taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound or another GLP-1 medication, you may have important legal rights.
Do not assume that your vision loss was simply an unavoidable complication of diabetes or another underlying medical condition without having the circumstances evaluated.
Contact Smith McBroom to discuss what happened and whether your potential claim warrants further investigation.
We are ready to listen to your story, review the medical circumstances and help you determine what options may be available.