The popularity of weight-loss and diabetes medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro has grown rapidly in recent years. However, these drugs are now facing concerns in the US after patients filed lawsuits claiming that they developed a rare eye condition after using them. The condition, called NAION, can cause sudden vision loss. The cases have been brought against drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and are now part of a larger federal legal process. Read on to know more about it.
What Are The Lawsuits About?
The lawsuits focus on a rare condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION. It affects the optic nerve, which carries information from the eye to the brain. When the optic nerve is damaged, a person can suddenly lose part of their vision.
Some patients involved in the lawsuits claim that their vision loss did not improve and became permanent. They allege that the drug companies should have provided stronger warnings about the possible risk.
The cases against Novo Nordisk involve medicines including Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda. Eli Lilly’s Trulicity was also named in the complaints. The legal battle has now widened, with Mounjaro and Zepbound also being named in the cases.
What Happened?
One case was filed by Omar McCluney in May 2026 against Eli Lilly and Lilly USA. He claimed that he developed NAION and permanent vision loss after taking Mounjaro.
According to his complaint, McCluney used the medicine from around January to March 2025. He alleged that the company did not properly warn patients about NAION and did not do enough to update its safety information.
His lawsuit also mentioned a study that explored a possible link between semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy, and NAION.
The Claims Are Still Being Examined
The lawsuits do not mean that a court has found Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or other GLP-1 medicines responsible for NAION. The patients’ claims still have to be examined through the legal process.
For now, the legal battle is still ongoing.
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