The European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed the link between Ozempic and NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) in early June 2025. This drug regulator went on to say a NAION warning would be added to the drug labels for the semaglutide-containing drugs Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic. Notably, but not surprisingly, the EMA did not mention the lesser-known eye disorder AION (anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) concerning the semaglutide drug label changes.
An excerpt from a Survey of Ophthalmology medical journal article explains the relationship between NAION and AION:
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.
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