I Interviewed One of the Lead Attorneys in the Ozempic Vision Loss Lawsuits. Here’s What I Think Everyone on a GLP-1 Should Know.

As an attorney, I have spent most of my career helping people who were harmed by products they trusted. Now, a new wave of litigation is building around one of the most widely used classes of medications in American history: GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Most people talking about GLP-1 lawsuits focus on stomach problems like gastroparesis, intestinal blockage or slowed digestion. These are real and serious issues, with over 4,000 cases now pending in federal court.

But there’s another group of lawsuits that isn’t getting enough attention. These cases involve permanent vision loss.

I recently spoke with Ellen Relkin, a partner at Weitz and Luxenberg and a leading mass tort attorney, about the Ozempic blindness lawsuits against Novo Nordisk. With 40 years of experience fighting for people harmed by drug companies, Relkin was chosen as co-lead counsel in the New Jersey litigation over GLP-1 medications and NAION vision loss. What she shared is something everyone taking or considering a GLP-1 medication should hear.

What Is NAION and What Does It Do to You?

NAION stands for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. It happens when blood flow to the optic nerve suddenly stops. Patients often say they wake up and can’t see out of one eye, or that part of their vision is missing. There’s typically no warning—it just happens.

There is no known treatment for NAION. Once it occurs, the vision loss is usually permanent.

The Lawsuits and the Science Behind Them

The NAION lawsuits against Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, are separate from the thousands of stomach-related cases in federal court. As of October 2026, there are nearly 250 NAION cases in federal court in Pennsylvania, and hundreds more in New Jersey state court, where Novo Nordisk is based in the U.S.

A growing body of peer-reviewed research supports these lawsuits. A key study published in July 2024 in JAMA Ophthalmology by Harvard researchers found that people with Type 2 diabetes prescribed semaglutide had over four times the risk of NAION compared to those on non-GLP-1 diabetes medications. For overweight or obese patients, the risk was more than seven times higher than for patients prescribed non-GLP-1 medications.

Since then, at least 10 more studies have looked at this link. A large Danish study of over 424,000 people with Type 2 diabetes found that semaglutide more than doubled the five-year risk of NAION. A 2025 meta-analysis also showed a significant association between semaglutide use and NAION.

The FDA’s adverse event database shows a similar pattern. The FDA’s Adverse Event Monitoring System currently lists over 800 cases of serious vision loss linked to semaglutide drugs. Relkin pointed out that only about 10% of adverse events are reported, so the actual number of affected patients is probably much higher.

Something Almost Nobody Is Being Told Before They Start GLP-1s

This part of my talk with Relkin really stood out to me.

Some people have a structural condition called a “disc at risk,” or crowded optic disc. It’s something you’re typically born with. Research suggests that people with this feature may have a higher risk of NAION when taking these medications.

The key point is that an optometrist can spot this condition during a regular eye exam. You don’t need a specialist or an ophthalmologist. A routine visit to your local optometrist, like the appointment many people have every year or two, can show if you have this risk factor.

The American Optometric Association has published clinical guidance specifically addressing GLP-1 medications and eye health. Their recommendations include a baseline comprehensive eye exam before starting a GLP-1 medication, along with a follow-up exam after.

But in reality, this isn’t happening much. Most doctors, including primary care physicians and online telehealth providers, aren’t regularly warning patients about this risk or sending them for a baseline eye exam before prescribing these drugs.

Relkin shared that during a routine checkup, her doctor suggested starting a GLP-1 for weight management. She declined after telling the doctor she only has vision in one eye because of an unrelated issue. Her doctor had never heard of the NAION risk.

If someone can only see out of one eye, they run the risk of becoming blind if they lose vision in the other due to NAION. Certainly, this is a risk that should be explained to patients before starting a GLP-1. Relkin is a top attorney on these cases, and even her doctor wasn’t discussing this risk.

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If You Are Getting Your GLP-1 From a Compounding Pharmacy, Read This

Millions of Americans have used compounded versions of semaglutide, often bought through telehealth platforms and compounding pharmacies. These drugs were heavily marketed when brand-name supplies were low. In 2024, compounded GLP-1s made up about 30% of the market. Even after the FDA ended the shortage in early 2025 and tried to limit compounding, a study found that between August and October of that year, 92% of compounding businesses surveyed were still selling compounded semaglutide.

If you developed NAION while taking a compounded GLP-1, filing a lawsuit is more complicated, but not impossible. Most current lawsuits target the name-brand manufacturers. If you took a compounded product, you would need to identify the prescribing doctor, the compounding pharmacy, and possibly the telehealth company, then see if any of them have enough insurance to make a case possible.

Relkin’s firm, like most handling these cases, is mainly focused on patients who took Ozempic or Wegovy, the brand-name drugs from Novo Nordisk. If you used a compounded version and lost vision, it’s still worth talking to an attorney, but know that your case may be more complicated.

The Core of the Lawsuit: A Warning That Exists Everywhere Except Here

These are product liability lawsuits based on the failure-to-warn theory. The claim is simple: Novo Nordisk knew or should have known about the NAION risk and didn’t add a warning to the U.S. drug label.

Here is what makes that allegation so compelling: In June 2025, the European Medicines Agency concluded its review and recommended adding NAION as a “very rare” side effect on the labels of Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy across Europe. Similar warnings now exist in the U.K and Australia. As of now, the U.S. drug label does not include a NAION warning.

I asked Relkin why she thought the company had not added the warning here. Her theory: competition.

She was careful to note it was a hypothesis, but a reasoned one based on her decades of experience in this space. The published science suggests the NAION signal may be stronger for semaglutide compared to other GLP-1 medications. If Novo Nordisk agreed to add a warning for NAION to their products, patients might switch to competing drugs.

The company may be fighting a product-specific warning because the commercial consequences of a warning that applies only to semaglutide could be significant. Once discovery proceeds and internal documents are produced, we will know more about what the company knew and when they knew it.

Rare Doesn’t Mean It Doesn’t Matter

I often hear people ask if the risk is very rare, why worry?

The risk of getting NAION from a GLP-1 drug is real, but it’s small. Researchers estimate about one or two extra cases per 10,000 people with Type 2 diabetes each year. But with tens of millions of patients taking these drugs, even a small risk means many people are affected. Hundreds have reported this injury to the FDA, hundreds more have filed lawsuits and many others may not realize that their vision loss is linked to their medication.

More importantly, this isn’t like nausea or feeling tired for a while. Losing vision changes your life. Relkin told me about a client, a truck driver, who can’t work anymore because he lost vision in one eye. His whole livelihood is gone.

I believe patients have a basic right to know the risks they’re taking. That’s what informed consent is all about. You might see a 1 in 10,000 risk and decide the benefits are worth it. But you can’t make that choice if no one tells you the risk exists.

What You Should Do If You Are Taking a GLP-1 Right Now

Here’s what I think is most important after this interview:

Talk to your doctor about NAION and ask if you have any risk factors, like diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea or an existing eye condition.
Ask your doctor for a referral to an optometrist for a baseline eye exam before starting or continuing the medication, or book one yourself. Ask the optometrist to check for a crowded optic disc.

If you notice any sudden changes in your vision while taking a GLP-1 — like blurring, partial vision loss or trouble seeing in one eye — contact a doctor right away. Don’t wait to see if it gets better. Tell your doctor you’re on a GLP-1 medication.