Popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, will carry a new warning about a rare eye condition that can cause significant and sometimes permanent vision loss, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday.
The warning will be added to the labels of all GLP-1 drugs, a class of medicines used to treat obesity, diabetes and other medical conditions. It includes widely prescribed brands such as Zepbound and Mounjaro.
The condition, known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced. The underlying cause is not fully understood, according to the FDA.
Symptoms can include blurred vision, blind spots, distorted colours and other visual disturbances. The agency has advised patients experiencing such symptoms to contact a healthcare professional immediately.
What prompted the warning?
FDA scientists began examining the potential link after a 2024 medical paper reported an association between the condition and semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
An FDA analysis of more than 125 clinical trials found that NAION occurred in approximately six out of every 100,000 patients who had taken a GLP-1 drug for at least a year. The comparable rate among people taking a placebo or other glucose-lowering medicines was fewer than four cases per 100,000.
The agency also identified reports of the condition in its electronic system for recording drug-related injuries and side effects.
The warning follows growing scrutiny of GLP-1 medicines, which have become widely used for weight management and blood sugar control. While the FDA has identified a rare potential risk, the findings do not establish that the drugs cause the condition in every reported case.
The updated labelling is intended to alert healthcare professionals and patients to the possible eye-related complication and the symptoms that require prompt medical attention.
Source: Associated Press, via Business Standard
