Ozempic Linked to Rare Cases of Serious Eye Disorder, Says EU Agency

Novo Nordisk's popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic may in very rare cases cause a serious eye condition that can lead to vision loss, the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) safety committee said on June 6.

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In the past, studies in Type 2 diabetes patients have linked Ozempic to the condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (Naion). This is the first time a regulator has confirmed the side effect.

The condition may affect up to one in 10,000 people taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic as well as in Novo's other diabetes drug Rybelsus, for at least one year, the regulator said.

Naion is the second-most common cause of blindness due to optic nerve damage, after glaucoma.