VP Law
September 28, 2026
Lawsuits are mounting against drug manufacturers alleging that popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, Mounjaro, and Trulicity caused permanent vision loss.
The lawsuits focus on Non-arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION), a rare eye condition that can cause sudden and permanent vision loss. Nearly 100 lawsuits specifically involving NAION have been filed in New Jersey since 2025, with additional cases filed in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have denied the allegations of any significant relationship between their medications and NAION and defend the safety of their drugs.
The Allegations
The suits allege that GLP-1 manufacturers knew or should have known their medications could increase the risk of NAION but failed to adequately warn patients and healthcare providers. Some plaintiffs claim they permanently lost vision in one or both eyes after taking medications containing semaglutide, tirzepatide, or dulaglutide and would have made different treatment decisions had they known about the potential risk.
The cases raise product liability claims that may include failure to warn, defective drug design, and negligence. The NAION lawsuits are developing alongside broader GLP-1 litigation involving alleged complications such as gastroparesis, intestinal obstruction, and other gastrointestinal injuries.
Drug manufacturers dispute the allegations, maintaining that research has not established that their medications cause NAION and that known risks are appropriately disclosed in FDA-approved labeling.
What Is NAION?
“NAION” occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced, damaging the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain. Sometimes called an “eye stroke,” the condition causes sudden, painless vision loss in one eye, though both eyes can eventually be affected.
The condition is rare and occurs most frequently among adults over age 50. In the United States, an estimated two to 10 people per 100,000 adults age 50 and older develop NAION each year.
The exact cause is not fully understood, but conditions such as diabetes, high or low blood pressure, sleep apnea, anemia, migraines, smoking, and some medications may contribute. Currently, there is no treatment to reverse NAION-induced vision loss.
Potential Links
Researchers have not established that GLP-1 medications cause NAION, and studies searching for possible connections have produced mixed results. Some research has identified an association between semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, and an increased incidence of NAION.
However, researchers cautioned that the findings did not establish that the medication caused NAION, and other studies found no significant association between GLP-1 medications and the condition.
Studying a possible connection is particularly difficult because many patients prescribed GLP-1 medications have diabetes and other health conditions that independently increase their risk of eye disease and vision loss.
Varied Labels
Differing research has also led regulators and medical organizations to take different approaches to drug warnings. Regulators outside the United States have added NAION information to GLP-1 medication labels.
European labeling for Ozempic and Wegovy was updated in 2026 to identify NAION as a very rare potential side effect of semaglutide, estimated to affect up to one in 10,000 patients. Vision-related warnings have also been added to labeling for certain GLP-1 medications in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Australia.
U.S. labeling currently does not contain a NAION warning. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has said the available evidence shows a potential association but does not establish that semaglutide causes NAION and has cautioned that the overall risk remains low.
U.S. labels for GLP-1 medications have been updated as additional safety information has emerged. Ozempic labeling, for example, was previously revised to include warnings about intestinal obstruction, but NAION has not been added as a listed adverse effect.
Varcadipane & Pinnisi, P.C. is a full-service personal injury law firm. If you or a loved one have been injured, call 201-588-1500 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve clients throughout New York, New Jersey, and Florida, and have offices conveniently located in Manhattan, Paramus, and Jacksonville.
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