Every GLP-1 on the market, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro, will now carry a warning that the drugs may be linked to a rare eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss. The Food and Drug Administration announced the label change on Monday, and it applies to the entire class of about a dozen injectable and pill-based medications used for weight loss and diabetes.
The condition in question is non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, which happens when blood flow to the optic nerve decreases. The FDA says it has been reported with all GLP-1s, but what actually causes it still isn’t clear. Concerns grew after a 2024 paper connected NAION to some patients taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, and vision concerns tied to these drugs have been part of the conversation ever since.
The good news is that the risk is still very low. When the FDA analyzed more than 125 clinical trials, it found NAION in roughly 6 of every 100,000 patients taking a GLP-1 per year, compared with fewer than 4 per 100,000 for people on a placebo or another type of glucose-lowering medication. The condition also shows up in people who have never taken these drugs, affecting between 2 and 10 of every 100,000 adults over 50 each year, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Neuro-ophthalmologist Joseph Rizzo, MD, who led the 2024 paper, told CBS News he wasn’t surprised by the decision. While he believes the evidence shows GLP-1s raise the risk, he isn’t discouraging anyone from taking them. “The medicines have really been profoundly beneficial to a large number of people,” he said. His bigger concern is that the vision loss is usually permanent, can get worse even after someone stops the medication and doesn’t always hit both eyes equally.
Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy, said it still doesn’t believe the data shows a cause-and-effect relationship, while Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound and Mounjaro, said it is reviewing the update and will respond to the FDA promptly.
If you’re currently on a GLP-1, the most useful thing you can do is know what to look for. The FDA lists blurred vision, blind spots, distorted colors and other visual changes as symptoms, and anyone who notices them should contact their doctor right away.
