The makers of GLP-1 are being taken to court over alleged sudden vision loss.
ABC News reported there are dozens of personal injury lawsuits against the makers of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro that claim they were not warned about nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
USA Today said the number of suits is much higher, with almost 1000 filed in New Jersey alone over the past year.
Basically, it happens when there isn’t enough blood flow to the eye, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Without blood, the areas stop working and start to die.
The institution said the condition is painless and sudden. It looks like blurring or vision that gets worse, typically in the lower half. It can also cause weaker color vision. People typically notice it after long sleeps or naps. It usually affects one eye at a time, with about 15% of people eventually developing it in the second eye.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology said there is no treatment for the condition.
Researchers have been looking at a possible connection between the condition and the medications after a medical facility in Boston sent a safety alert in 2024. There has been no study to prove the drugs caused NAION, ABC News reported.
The condition causes rapid-onset vision changes and could eventually cause blindness. It is rare and typically occurs in people over 50, according to USA Today.
The lawsuits claim patients should have been told about the potential side effect. The drugs have no warning in the U.S., but they do have warning labels in other countries.
Novo Nordisk said the company takes “all reports of adverse events very seriously,” but added that the lawsuits are “without merit and are vigorously defending them.”
Lilly also released a statement saying that patient safety is the company’s “top priority.”
“We actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to the FDA. As part of our routine safety review process, we have ongoing discussions with regulators regarding potential safety topics, and we will continue to review data, including any data regarding ophthalmic issues,” the company told ABC News.
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the potential link and will decide if action is needed, but did not give a timeline for when that could occur, The Wall Street Journal reported.