Drugs Like Saxenda, Victoza May Be Tied to Risk of Permanent Vision Loss, Study Warns
Users of some popular GLP-1 drugs could have a heightened chance of experiencing serious vision issues.
In a study evaluating patients with diabetes published in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology last week, researchers determined that liraglutide, the active ingredient in Saxenda and Victoza, may be associated with an increased risk of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION).
NAION occurs when there is not enough blood flow to the optic nerve, causing some of the structure to die. This can lead to rapid and permanent loss of vision, which is sometimes known as an eye stroke.
The authors of the study, who did stress some of its limitations, noted that the median time between using a GLP-1 drug and developing NAION was about three years.
“The risk of NAION warrants further research given the increasing use of GLP-1 RAs and the seriousness of NAION,” the study’s authors noted.
The study evaluated millions of Medicare enrollees with diabetes who were prescribed antidiabetic medications. Like other GLP-1s, liraglutide has been marketed both as a diabetes medication and as a weight loss treatment drug.
Novo Nordisk first introduced Saxenda to the market to assist with weight loss after it was approved by the FDA in 2014. The FDA later expanded its use to include children 12 years or older as well.
Victoza, which is used to treat diabetes, was approved in 2010.
Drugwatch has begun to investigate potential lawsuits for people who may have been impacted by this issue. If you have used Saxenda at any point since 2015 or Victoza since 2010 and went on to experience vision loss, you could be eligible to file a lawsuit.
Ozempic, Wegovy Face Similar Vision Loss Claims
Liraglutide is not the first GLP-1 drug linked to serious vision loss concerns. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the widely used Ozempic and Wegovy medications, has also been associated with an increased risk of NAION.
The newly published study reinforced these concerns, identifying semaglutide and liraglutide as GLP-1 medications tied to a higher likelihood of developing the condition.
In recent months, Ozempic lawsuits have been filed by semaglutide users who claim to have suffered from NAION, a condition that they say has dramatically impacted their quality of life.
“If you develop NAION while on this medication, it will likely result in permanent visual impairment. That means you can no longer drive. That means you can potentially no longer work,” Danielle Gold, an attorney with Weitz & Luxenberg who is working on this litigation, told Drugwatch in a recent episode of Beyond the Scale: The Ozempic Effect podcast. “There really is a loss of independence among people who are diagnosed with this condition.”
In June, Gold filed a petition to group semaglutide vision loss lawsuits together in New Jersey court given the high number of cases that will likely be filed. At the time the petition was first filed, there were already 21 cases pending across eight courts in New Jersey alone.
Lawsuits claim that Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, failed to warn its customers of these potentially serious concerns.
There are also more than 2,000 lawsuits consolidated in federal court over claims that drugs like Ozempic can lead to severe gastrointestinal issues. This includes gastroparesis, a type of stomach paralysis where your body struggles to properly empty your stomach.
