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Law Offices of Thomas J. Lamb

Ozempic NAION Rate Higher in Recent 2025 Medical Study

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It has been reported during the past couple of years that drugs with the active ingredient semaglutide, such as Ozempic, can increase the risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). However, a new study presented this week at the 2025 annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology set the Ozempic NAION rate higher than we had seen previously.

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.

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Ozempic and Mounjaro Increased Risk of NAION More Than Other Diabetes Drugs

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A 2025 medical study considered whether treatment with either Ozempic (semaglutide) or Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is associated with an increased risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) when compared to other antidiabetic medications. The researchers concluded that there is an Ozempic and Mounjaro increased risk of NAION.

A new medical article published in August 2025 had an important drug safety bottom-line statement: “In this study of patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior eye disorders, patients prescribed [Ozempic (semaglutide)] or [Mounjaro (tirzepatide)] had an increased risk of NAION…”.

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.

[Read the article in full at source]

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NAION With Tirzepatide-containing Drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound

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The possible connection of NAION with tirzepatide-containing drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound is being investigated by the FDA, according to “October – December 2024 | Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)”.

During the past year, we have written about the vision loss side effect NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) being linked to semaglutide-containing drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy. This is our first article about the possible connection of NAION with tirzepatide-containing drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound.

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.

[Read the article in full at source]

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Link Between Ozempic and NAION Also Involves the Eye Disorder AION

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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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Ozempic Blindness Legal Cases Filed Against Novo Nordisk in April 2025

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Patients who have filed Ozempic blindness legal cases had developed nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) while using Ozempic. These cases are product liability failure to warn lawsuits filed against the responsible drug company, Novo Nordisk, because the Ozempic drug label does not warn about NAION as a possible eye side effect that can cause blindness.

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.

[Read the article in full at source]

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Vision Loss Linked to Ozempic and Rybelsus Use by Diabetes Patients

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The relatively new drug safety issue of vision loss linked to Ozempic and Rybelsus was the subject of a recent medical study that had this stated Objective, or purpose: “To investigate the association between semaglutide use and the risk of NAION among patients with diabetes.”

On March 27, 2025, the JAMA Ophthalmology medical journal published this report, “Semaglutide and Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Risk Among Patients With Diabetes”, about that recent medical study. Of particular significance is that it presents new information about the time relationship between Ozempic and Rybelsus use dates by patients with type 2 diabetes and the diagnosis dates for their NAION. This can be found in the Results section of that March 2025 JAMA Ophthalmology article, at a part titled “Risk of NAION in Terms of Follow-Up Duration After Semaglutide Prescription”.

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.

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Ozempic Eye Problems Caused by Semaglutide-Related NAION

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Ozempic eye problems caused by semaglutide-related NAION are being investigated as possible drug injury lawsuits to be filed on behalf of patients against Novo Nordisk, the responsible drug company. Similar Wegovy eye problems and Rybelsus eye problems are also possible lawsuits against Novo Nordisk insofar that the active ingredient for those two drugs is semaglutide.

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.

[Read the article in full at source]

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Ozempic Side Effects Include Eye Problems With Possible Vision Loss

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In July 2024 we learned from a recent medical study that Ozempic side effects include eye problems with possible vision loss. More specifically, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) has been linked to semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic as well as Wegovy and Rybelsus. As such, this finding about the new NAION Ozempic eye problems side effects also applies to Wegovy and Rybelsus.

The medical study that found the new Ozempic eye problems side effects was presented in this article, “Risk of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in Patients Prescribed Semaglutide”, which was published on July 3, 2024, by the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology.

We get an overview of the semaglutide – NAION medical study from this July 3, 2024, STAT news article, “Study links Ozempic to a higher risk of eye condition that can cause vision loss”:

A new observational study on [July 3, 2024] reported for the first time a potential link between Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy and an eye condition that can cause vision loss….

NAION, sometimes referred to as an “eye stroke,” occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. It typically causes sudden vision loss and, in severe cases, can lead to blindness. There are currently no proven treatments for the condition.

Some information about the increased risk of these Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic eye problems side effects was provided in this July 3, 2024, MedPage Today article, “Semaglutide May Be Linked to Condition That Causes Blindness”:

Over a mean follow-up of nearly 3 years, patients with diabetes on semaglutide had more than a fourfold higher risk for developing nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) compared with patients not on a GLP-1 agonist (HR 4.28, 95% CI 1.62-11.29, P<0.001)….

Those prescribed semaglutide for overweight or obesity had an over sevenfold higher risk for NAION (HR 7.64, 95% CI 2.21-26.36, P<0.001), a significant cause of blindness…

Over 3 years, the cumulative incidence of NAION were 8.9% and 6.7% in the two semaglutide groups, respectively, versus 1.8% and 0.8% for the non-GLP-1 groups. [emphasis added]

Relevant to this recent finding that Ozempic side effects include eye problems with possible vision loss, we point out that in medical records, NAION is sometimes referred to more simply as an “eye stroke” and because it is a form of “optic neuropathy” (an eye disease category) NAION might be noted in short only as optic neuropathy.

Patients who developed NAION following the use of Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus may be entitled to legal compensation by filing a drug injury lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company responsible for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.

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Law Offices of Thomas J. Lamb, P.A.
1908 Eastwood Road, Suite 225
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
910-256-2971
TJL@LambLawOffice.com