The Food and Drug Administration is requiring new safety warnings on all GLP-1 medications, including popular drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, after identifying a potential increased risk of a rare eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss.
In a drug safety communication issued Monday, the FDA said it is informing patients and health care providers of a potential increased risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, associated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications. NAION is a rare condition that can result in sudden, painless decreased vision in one eye, including permanent vision loss. The agency is requiring manufacturers to add information about the potential risk to the Warnings and Precautions section of product labeling.
The FDA’s review included an analysis of 126 randomized clinical trials involving more than 134,000 patients. It found an occurrence of 6.4 NAION cases per 100,000 person-years among patients treated with GLP-1 drugs, compared with 3.8 cases per 100,000 person-years for those given a placebo or other non-GLP-1 glucose-lowering medications. NAION cases have been reported for all currently marketed GLP-1 products. The absolute risk remains low, but the agency concluded there is a potential increased risk.
Today, we are informing patients and health care providers of a potential increased risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) associated with use of GLP-1 RA medications. NAION is a rare condition that can result in acute, painless, decreased vision in one eye, including permanent vision loss. Symptoms of NAION include sudden, painless vision loss in one eye that patients may notice upon waking: visual defects such as blind spots, distortion of colors, blurriness, or tunnel vision. Patients should contact their health care professional right away if they have any of these symptoms. https://t.co/qeTuSSQUzS
— U.S. FDA (@FDA) November 9, 2026
Health care professionals are advised to instruct patients to immediately report sudden onset of acute, painless decreased vision, visual field deficits, or other visual disturbances in one eye. If NAION is suspected, patients should be promptly referred to an ophthalmologist. Doctors should consider discontinuing the medication unless the benefits clearly outweigh the risk.
GLP-1 drugs, which include Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, are widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and for weight loss. The FDA’s action applies to the entire class of medications.
Patients who experience sudden vision changes while taking these drugs are urged to contact their health care provider right away. The agency has not advised patients to stop their medication without medical guidance.
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