US FDA Requires New Eye-Risk Warnings for Popular Diabetes and Weight-Loss Medicines

GLP-1 medicines are used to manage type 2 diabetes and, in certain formulations, obesity. These medicines can improve blood-glucose control, support weight reduction and reduce some health risks in eligible patients.

The US FDA has now required updated eye-risk warnings for medicines including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound. The warning concerns non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, a condition involving reduced blood supply to the optic nerve.

NAION can cause sudden, painless vision loss and may result in permanent visual impairment. The FDA's review considered clinical trials, animal research, post-marketing safety reports and observational studies.

The European Medicines Agency had previously identified NAION as a very rare potential adverse effect associated with semaglutide. However, the available evidence does not mean that every person taking a GLP-1 medicine will experience this complication.

Patients should not stop prescribed diabetes or weight-management medication on their own. Anyone experiencing sudden changes in vision should seek urgent medical assessment and inform the treating clinician about their medication.