Side Effects Blog

From an October 20, 2025, News Release from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Do GLP-1 Drugs like Ozempic Cause or Prevent Vision Loss?“:

Researchers in an international collaboration across the University of Ottawa Eye Institute, University of Toronto, McMaster University, and Doheny Eye Institute UCLA conducted one of the largest global studies on the topic to date. Using data from the World Health Organization’s global database of drug safety reports, the authors analyzed data on 117,173 patients with diabetes taking semaglutide [Ozempic, as well as Rybelsus and Wegovy](GLP-1 drugs), empagliflozin, exenatide, tirzepatide, or insulin.

Results showed that people using GLP-1 drugs were 68.6 times more likely to develop NAION and eight times more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy than those taking empagliflozin, exenatide, insulin or metformin. The analysis found no significant association between tirzepatide (the active ingredient in other GLP-1 medications including Mounjaro and Zepbound) and NAION or diabetic retinopathy. [Emphasis added]

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is the world’s largest association of eye physicians and surgeons.  So it makes this “Ozempic NAION rate higher” announcement significant.

The earlier Ozempic NAION rates, which were significantly lower, had already resulted in drug injury lawsuits being filed by patients against the responsible pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk.

Here is an April 2025 Drug Injury Watch article that you can read to learn more about lawsuits involving NAION, titled “Ozempic Vision Loss Lawsuits Have Been Filed by Patients Against Novo Nordisk“. That article lists some of the legal liability allegations regarding Novo Nordisk’s actions and failures. It also points out that the current Ozempic drug label does not warn about NAION as a possible eye side effect that can cause vision loss or blindness.

One wonders whether a medical study with the Ozempic NAION rate higher, as announced by this October 2025 AAO News Release, might increase the number of Ozempic vision loss lawsuits.

If you are interested in a possible Ozempic lawsuit seeking legal compensation for your NAION eye side effect, you can submit an Online Case Evaluation Form. It is free, confidential, and there is no obligation. We will reply to you no later than the next business day.

Some of the allegations contained in the lawsuits for Dupixent cancer cases are:

1. Defendants Regeneron and Sanofi knew or should have known of the potential of Dupixent to exacerbate or accelerate pre-existing T-cell lymphoma, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), or increase susceptibility to its development.
2. Defendants failed to adequately test Dupixent to investigate the risks, including the potential of exacerbating pre-existing T-cell lymphoma or increasing susceptibility to its development.
3. Defendants failed to warn physicians and patients that Dupixent should not be prescribed or administered to patients with confirmed or suspected T-cell lymphoma, including CTCL and PTCL.

As background, here is some basic medical information relevant to these Dupixent cancer cases:

• There are several types of T-cell lymphoma, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).
• CTCL is a T-cell lymphoma that begins in the skin. Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are the two most common subtypes of CTCL.
• PTCL refers to systemic T-cell lymphomas that are found in the lymph nodes, other organs, and the blood. Also, some types involve the skin.
• T-cell lymphomas, both CTCL and PTCL, are a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

We are currently investigating possible Dupixent cancer cases for patients who were diagnosed with one of the following medical conditions, some time after they started using Dupixent:

• T-cell lymphoma
• cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)
• peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL)
• Mycosis fungoides
• Sézary syndrome

For individuals with a Dupixent-related cancer case, we encourage them to submit a Dupixent Cancer Case Evaluation Form online or call 910-256-2971 to discuss their potential case with attorney Tom Lamb.

In more detail, a growing body of medical evidence shows an association between Dupixent and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has given rise to Dupixent side effects legal cases being filed on behalf of patients diagnosed with this CTCL cancer on their skin.

To start, this April 2024 medical article, “Dupilumab treatment for atopic dermatitis linked to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma development“, published online by Healio, presented some findings from a recent study that showed patients using Dupixent (dupilumab) for treatment of their atopic dermatitis had an increased risk for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

The complete findings from that Dupixent – CTCL study were reported in this medical journal article, “Dupilumab therapy for atopic dermatitis is associated with increased risk of cutaneous T cell lymphoma: A retrospective cohort study“, published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in their August 2024 print edition.

The following information about cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) comes from the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation website.

• Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is the most common type of cutaneous lymphoma, and typically presents with red, scaly patches or plaques on the skin. Itching is common, with more than 80% of people with CTCL reporting they have itch. CTCL often mimics eczema, psoriasis, or other chronic dermatitis, and because of this it’s common that the diagnosis of CTCL is delayed, sometimes by years or decades….
• Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Although the terms MF and CTCL are often used interchangeably, this can be a source of confusion. All cases of MF are CTCL, but not all CTCL cases are MF.
• Sézary syndrome is a leukemic form of CTCL, and distinguished from mycosis fungoides by the presence of cancerous lymphocytes in the blood.

Feel free to submit a Dupixent Cancer Case Evaluation Form online or call 910-256-2971 if we can assist you with a possible Dupixent side effects legal case.

From the Discussion part of this recent medical journal article published August 11, 2025, online by JAMA Network Open, “Semaglutide or Tirzepatide and Optic Nerve and Visual Pathway Disorders in Type 2 Diabetes“:

In a population of patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior diagnosis of eye diseases, this cohort study found that semaglutide [(Ozempic)] or tirzepatide [(Mounjaro)] compared with other antidiabetic medications was associated with a differential risk of optic nerve and visual pathways, including increased risk of NAION and other optic nerve disorders, but not optic neuritis, papilledema, optic atrophy, or optic disc orders. Cumulative incidence curves began to diverge immediately after medication initiation and continued to separate thereafter.

Related to this Ozempic and Mounjaro increased risk of NAION finding, we point out that there are additional drugs not used for diabetes but for obesity and weight loss purposes that contain semaglutide (Wegovy, Rybelsus) or tirzepatide (Zepbound). As we have covered in earlier articles, there is some evidence that the NAION eye-related side effect is associated with those additional drugs, too.

We will continue to follow the Ozempic and Mounjaro increased risk of NAION drug safety issue, as well as whether the two other semaglutide-containing drugs (Wegovy, Rybelsus) and the one other tirzepatide-containing drug (Zepbound) are associated with an increased risk of NAION.

We will watch for developments concerning the possible connection of NAION with tirzepatide-containing drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound.

If you have developed NAION with Mounjaro or Zepbound, there might be a drug injury lawsuit against the responsible pharmaceutical company. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested in such a case.

Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) results from ischemic damage to the anterior portion of the optic nerve, a region primarily supplied by the posterior ciliary artery circulation. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is divided into two types: arteritic AION (AAION), secondary to vasculitis (especially giant cell arteritis), and nonarteritic AION (NAION), secondary to non-inflammatory small vessel disease. NAION constitutes 95% of all AION and is the most common cause of acute optic neuropathy in people over the age of 50…. [Footnotes omitted.]

Given this relationship between NAION and AION, we should keep in mind that a person using Rybelsus, Wegovy, or Ozempic diagnosed with AION might have NAION as a side effect of their semaglutide-containing drug.

In turn, a person diagnosed with AION while using Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus could have a potential drug injury lawsuit to file against Novo Nordisk, the responsible pharmaceutical company, even though there was no specific mention of NAION by their eye doctor.

More information about these NAION lawsuits against the drug company is outlined in our prior article, “Ozempic Blindness Legal Cases Filed Against Novo Nordisk in April 2025“.

If you have been diagnosed with AION or NAION, we can assist you with a possible drug injury lawsuit that would be filed against Novo Nordisk, the responsible pharmaceutical company. To get started, you can complete our online Case Evaluation Form, or you can call attorney Tom Lamb (910-256-2971) to discuss your possible case.

Here are some of the allegations made in recently filed Ozempic blindness legal cases:

• Despite available information, the drug company Novo Nordisk failed to warn patients about the risk of developing nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) when using Ozempic.
• Novo Nordisk knew or should have known that there was reasonable evidence of a causal association between the use of Ozempic and NAION based on preclinical trials, premarket clinical trials, post-market surveillance, and adverse event reports about NAION being associated with Ozempic or other semaglutide drugs, such as Wegovy and Rybelsus.
• A patient who suffered blindness due to NAION would not have used Ozempic — whether for type 2 diabetes treatment or as a weight-loss medication — if they had been provided a warning by Novo Nordisk about the risk of developing NAION when using Ozempic.

We have been investigating Ozempic blindness legal cases for almost a year now, starting soon after we published this article, “Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic Eye Side Effects: Semaglutide Linked to NAION“, on our Drug Injury Watch website back in early July 2024.

As indicated above, patients who have been diagnosed with semaglutide-related NAION and experienced blindness or vision loss may be entitled to legal compensation by filing a drug injury lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company responsible for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.

Let us know if we can assist you or someone you know with an Ozempic blindness legal case involving NAION. Call (910) 256-2971 to speak directly to attorney Tom Lamb about a possible Ozempic drug injury lawsuit.

Given an apparent delay in the onset of vision loss linked to Ozempic and Rybelsus leading to a NAION diagnosis, it seems we may have a still-emerging drug injury lawsuit situation here. That is, the increasing use of Ozempic and Rybelsus in combination with this delay in vision loss leading to a NAION diagnosis means we might be just at the start of hearing from diabetes patients who have suffered this blinding eye-related side effect.

Drug injury lawsuits involving vision loss linked to Ozempic or Rybelsus filed for patients with a diagnosis of NAION (nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) would be against Novo Nordisk for its failure to warn about such vision loss. This is because the current drug labels for Ozempic and Rybelsus do not warn about any eye-related side effects, such as vision loss and blindness due to NAION.

We have been investigating possible drug injury lawsuits for patients who developed vision loss linked to Ozempic and Rybelsus, two of three semaglutide-containing drugs from Novo Nordisk. Their other semaglutide drug is Wegovy, approved by the FDA as a treatment for adult obesity and used for weight loss.

Let us know if we can assist you or someone else with an Ozempic, Rybelsus, or Wegovy drug injury case concerning nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) leading to vision loss.

There are a couple of recent medical studies about semaglutide being associated with an increased risk of NAION that provide us with more information about Rybelsus, Wegovy, and Ozempic eye problems.

The first study was reported in the medical journal International Journal of Retina and Vitreous. It found that semaglutide was associated with a higher risk of NAION, having a 2.19 hazard ratio.

The second study, which is in preprint form and not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal (but was posted December 11, 2024, online at medRxiv) “…confirms that use of semaglutide is associated to an increased risk of NAION but also that the excess absolute risk is low.”

The Brigham and Women’s Hospital website provides some basic medical information about non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). People diagnosed with NAION often experience some degree of permanent vision impairment, which can be life-altering.

Our first article concerning Ozempic eye problems, “Ozempic Side Effects Include Eye Problems With Possible Vision Loss“, was posted in July 2024. Our second article was posted several months later, “Ozempic Linked to Vision Loss With Increased Risk of NAION Side Effect“.

We are investigating drug injury lawsuits seeking legal compensation for people who received a diagnosis of NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) while using one of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide drugs, Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus.

The PRAC has recommended measures to minimise the risk of meningioma, a type of brain tumour, with medicines containing medroxyprogesterone acetate [such as Depo-Provera]….

The PRAC has agreed a direct healthcare professional communication (DHPC) to inform healthcare professionals of the increased risk of developing meningioma with high doses of medroxyprogesterone acetate (all injectable and ≥100 mg oral formulations), primarily after prolonged use (several years). The DHPC will highlight that medicines containing high doses of medroxyprogesterone acetate, when used for contraception or non-oncological indications, are contraindicated in patients with meningioma or with a history of meningioma. If a meningioma is diagnosed in a patient treated with high doses medroxyprogesterone acetate, treatment must be stopped.

An important issue in the increasing number of Depo-Provera meningioma drug injury lawsuits will be why the drug companies responsible for Depo-Provera used by women in the US did not, and still do not, include any Depo-Provera warning about meningioma in their drug label.

We will watch for developments regarding this Depo-Provera drug safety and legal issue.