Patients sue GLP-1 makers over sudden loss of vision

(NewsNation) — Patients are suing the makers of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs over a condition leading to sudden vision loss.

They say that the drug manufacturers failed to provide clear information about the possible side effect, while some experts say the evidence linking the two is mixed.

Both Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy and Ozempic, and Eli Lilly, which produces Zepbound, are facing lawsuits from patients who say they suddenly lost vision while taking the drugs.

The patients were diagnosed with a condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, which causes sudden and often permanent vision loss.

There is some research that indicates GLP-1s could raise the risk of developing NAION, and some countries outside the U.S. require the drugs to include information about the issue on the label.

However, some other experts say the evidence is mixed, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t require any warning, although the agency is investigating a potential link.

Researchers note that NAION does not have its own diagnosis code, making it harder to track any link, and many patients on GLP-1s have other conditions that raise the risk of NAION on their own, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.