Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, alleging that popular GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and Trulicity, caused permanent vision loss in patients. The cases center on a condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, which reduces blood flow to the optic nerve and can cause rapid, untreatable blindness. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue the drugmakers should have warned patients, especially since NAION appears on some updated labels in other countries but not on U.S. labels.
The human stakes are significant. One 63-year-old plaintiff lost vision in one eye in 2023 and the other in 2024, and is now legally blind. Both companies deny a significant link between their medications and vision loss. Novo Nordisk says it is vigorously fighting the lawsuits, while Eli Lilly says patient safety remains its top priority. Millions of Americans take these drugs for diabetes and weight loss, and many here on the Suncoast are among them.
So what should you actually do? Don’t stop a prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first. Do know the warning signs, which include sudden blurring, shadowing or vision loss in one eye, and treat them as urgent. And when you next see your physician, ask directly about the eye risk and whether the benefits still outweigh the risks for you. Have you or someone you know taken a GLP-1? Tell us your experience in the comments.
