FDA adds warning about rare vision loss to popular GLP-1s

FDA adds warning about rare vision loss to popular GLP-1s Advertisement Updated: 3:14 PM CST Nov 9, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Livia Daggett Digital Curator FDA adds warning about rare vision loss to popular GLP-1s Updated: 3:14 PM CST Nov 9, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Livia Daggett Digital Curator The FDA will now require makers of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Zepbound to add a warning to their labels about a rare side effect that can cause vision loss potentially associated with the drugs. The eye condition, called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION , leads to sudden and often permanent vision loss. The vision loss happens when not enough blood flows to part of the optic nerve, which carries visual information to the brain. Advertisement According to the Food and Drug Administration, NAION cases have been reported for all currently marketed GLP-1 receptor agonist products, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and other pill-based and injectable drugs. After reviewing available data, the FDA concluded that there is "a potential increased risk of rare NAION events in patients taking GLP-1 RAs." NAION is rare and typically occurs in people 50 or older, and the causes aren't fully understood. Symptoms include "sudden, painless vision loss in one eye" that people may notice upon waking; blurred or missing portions of vision, like blind spots or tunnel vision; distortion of colors; and blurry or hazy spots, the FDA said . Patients should contact their health care professional right away if they have any of these symptoms. Risk factors for NAION may include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, anemia, and kidney disease. Some GLP-1 companies facing lawsuits over rare condition causing vision loss NAION is not common, including among GLP-1 users. In making its decision, the FDA carried out a meta-analysis of GLP-1 development programs and found a higher rate of NAION in patients treated with GLP-1 RAs. But there were still not many cases: of 134,253 patients reviewed, there were 15 probable NAION events. Ten happened in patients treated with GLP-1 RAs, and five were in patients receiving placebo. There were none in patients who received other, non-GLP-1 RA glucose-lowering medication. The FDA began looking into the problem after a medical paper was published in 2024 that linked NAION to certain patients taking semaglutide, the active drug in Ozempic. Both Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, have previously denied any significant relationship between GLP-1s and NAION. Faced with lawsuits , they've pointed out in court that people with diabetes, which GLP-1s target, are at higher risk of blindness and other conditions named in GLP-1 lawsuits to begin with. The FDA acknowledged those overlapping risk factors make it challenging to interpret reports it receives about adverse events tied to the drugs. In other countries, including in the EU, U.K., Australia and Japan, some GLP-1 medications carry warnings about the condition. People concerned about NAION should discuss the risks and benefits of GLP-1s with their healthcare provider. If you think you may have experienced it, you should talk with your doctor about whether to continue taking your GLP-1 RA medication or to stop it, the FDA said. Some people don’t lose weight with GLP-1s. Evidence is building that the drugs are helping anyway Make WISN a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Rochelle Fleming, lead singer of '70s disco and soul group First Choice, dies Cruise ship staffer reportedly treads water in the ocean for nine hours before being rescued 'I'm scared': Florida high school student swims through chest-deep floodwaters after bus drop-off Nvidia shares fall after report of CEO investigation