Vision loss and weight loss drugs: Optic nerve risk from Ozempic, Wegovy
A patient in their 50s reports permanent vision loss in one eye, weeks after starting a popular weight loss medication. The drug, Ozempic, prescribed off-label for weight loss, was otherwise helping control blood sugar. The vision loss was sudden, painless, and irreversible.
This presentation is consistent with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), often described as an optic nerve stroke. Recent research suggests this rare but severe injury may occur at higher-than-expected rates in patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists, a drug class that includes Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.
New data link GLP-1 weight loss drugs to optic nerve injury
A December 2025 JAMA Ophthalmology study analyzed data from over 37 million adults with type 2 diabetes. The results showed a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of optic nerve ischemia in patients using GLP-1 medications.
Drugs mentioned in the study included:
Ozempic
Wegovy
Rybelsus
While the absolute risk remains low, the irreversible nature of the vision loss makes this a clinically and legally significant adverse event. These drugs are increasingly prescribed for medical weight loss, further expanding the exposed population.
What is non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)?
NAION is a form of optic nerve stroke caused by a drop in blood flow through the small vessels that supply the optic nerve. It is the most common cause of sudden optic nerve-related vision loss in adults over 50. Key features include:
Sudden, painless loss of vision, usually in one eye
Loss that is typically permanent
A pale, swollen optic nerve on examination
No trauma or warning symptoms
Risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and a small, crowded optic disc, often referred to as a “disc at risk.”
There is no proven treatment. Once vision is lost, it does not return.
Legal context: centralized lawsuits and product liability claims
Because NAION leads to permanent impairment, it has drawn attention in drug injury litigation related to GLP-1 weight loss drugs.
On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) centralized claims involving vision loss in users of Ozempic and Wegovy. These claims are being coordinated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before the same judge managing gastrointestinal claims related to GLP-1 drugs. Plaintiffs allege that manufacturers failed to adequately warn about the risk of optic nerve damage and irreversible vision loss.
While causation remains under scientific investigation, the temporal relationship between drug initiation and symptom onset is central to many of these cases.
Consult Dr. Rauchman for trusted medical-legal analysis
Contact Dr. Rauchman to review cases involving vision loss, optic nerve injury, or suspected drug-related ischemic neuropathy in the context of GLP-1 weight loss medications.
Email: Dr.Rauchman@yahoo.com
Call: (818) 620-0115