GLP-1 Drugs Named in Dozens of Lawsuits Alleging Permanent Vision Loss

Dozens of patients have filed personal injury lawsuits against GLP-1 manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, alleging that the drugs caused permanent damage to their vision. The complaints, filed over the past year, point to a condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, which occurs when there is insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve and can cause vision loss and blindness. Plaintiffs say their doctors never informed them that vision loss was a potential side effect of the drugs.¹

Novo Nordisk manufactures semaglutide injections, marketed under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, while Eli Lilly manufactures tirzepatide, marketed under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro. While all of these medications are used for weight management, only Wegovy and Zepbound are currently FDA-approved specifically for weight loss. Eli Lilly also manufactures Foundayo (orforglipron), an oral GLP-1 drug approved for weight management.^{2 3}

GLP-1 Vision Loss Reports Surfaced Alongside Research Supporting a Link

Reports of blindness after taking the popular weight loss injections first surfaced in 2024 after physicians at a Boston medical center identified a potential safety signal involving semaglutide and NAION.⁴ A July 2024 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology involving over 16,000 patients found that semaglutide users with type 2 diabetes had a 4.28-fold higher risk of developing NAION compared to patients prescribed non-GLP-1 medications for diabetes. Among overweight or obese patients, researchers found a 7.64-fold higher risk of NAION in patients prescribed semaglutide compared with those prescribed non-GLP-1 weight loss medications.⁵

The study states:

Among overweight or obese patients, the researchers found a 7.64-fold higher risk of NAION among patients prescribed semaglutide compared with patients prescribed non-GLP-1 weight-loss medications (HR 7.64; 95% CI, 2.21-26.36). Over 36 months, cumulative incidence was 6.7 percent versus 0.8 percent, respectively.⁶

NAION Reports Pile Up While Novo Nordisk Claims U.S. Lawsuits “Without Merit”

Then, in 2025, researchers reported ophthalmic complications in nine patients who used semaglutide or tirzepatide.⁷ A 2025 peer-reviewed study documenting the nine patients in JAMA Ophthalmology reported serious ophthalmic complications in nine patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, including seven cases of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), one case of bilateral papillitis and one case of paracentral acute middle maculopathy. One patient experienced severe vision loss the morning after receiving her first dose of semaglutide. In short, the study found an “increased NAION risk with semaglutide exposure relative to non-exposure,” with researchers hypothesizing that, in some cases, rapid correction of hyperglycemia induced by the drugs could be associated with the complications.⁸

ABC News reported Sept. 21, 2026, that spokespeople for both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk said in response to the dozens of new lawsuits that they take patient safety seriously. “Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority,” a spokesperson for Lilly said. “We actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to the FDA. As part of our routine safety review process, we have ongoing discussions with regulators regarding potential safety topics, and we will continue to review data, including any data regarding ophthalmic issues.” Novo Nordisk “pushed back against these claims,” stating, “Novo Nordisk believes the personal injury lawsuits filed in the U.S. are without merit and are vigorously defending them.”⁹

Plaintiffs Allege They Were Not Informed of Potential Vision-Loss Risk

Behind the growing list of serious adverse events reported in association with the popular weight loss drugs, including gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), suicidal thoughts, and an increased risk of all types of thyroid cancers, are patients who say they were not informed of the risks prior to being prescribed the medication. The personal injury lawsuits allege that drugmakers should have informed them of the potential risk of vision loss which is not currently listed on U.S. product labeling. It is, however, included on labeling in other countries.¹⁰

Over 4,000 complaints comprise broader federal litigation involving gastrointestinal injuries, while separate litigation has been consolidated over NAION vision-loss claims against GLP-1 drugmakers. Plaintiffs in the vision-loss litigation allege that permanent vision damage occurred as a result of the drugs and that they should have been warned about the increased risk of NAION.¹¹

A July 2026 lawsuit against Eli Lilly in Pennsylvania stated:

Defendants’ efforts to conceal (or minimize) the risks associated with taking their drugs, including the risk of developing NAION were intended to create the impression that these were ‘magic pills’ to help a person lose weight.¹²

GLP-1 Drugs Market Slated to Double to $240 Billion by 2035

There are approximately 36 GLP-1 or similar drugs in Phase 3 clinical trials and 40 in Phase 2 clinical trials, alongside over 193 “active assets” in the general obesity and metabolic drug development pipeline, including a new generation of oral tablets, multi-target agonists, and next-generation injectables.¹³ According to Morgan Stanley, the global market for GLP-1 drugs could more than double over the next decade, reaching $190 billion by 2035. “Depending on adoption rates, the total GLP-1 market could reach as much as $240 billion, in the most optimistic scenario, or $170 billion, in a more conservative case.”.¹⁴

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