“Skinny jabs” spark a new wave of lawsuits; potential risk of blindness from “rare eye strokes

After sparking lawsuits over gastrointestinal side effects, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are now facing class-action litigation alleging a link to sudden blindness. While doctors and researchers note that current evidence is insufficient to definitively prove these drugs—often dubbed “skinny shots”—cause this severe adverse reaction, the situation underscores the need for patients to be vigilant about the medications they use, even as they seek the weight-loss benefits these injections offer.

Some recent scientific studies suggest that the use of certain GLP-1 drugs may increase the risk of developing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). However, experts point out that while evidence indicates the risk of blindness could nearly double, the absolute risk remains very low, affecting approximately two out of every 10,000 patients taking the medication.

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and U.S.-based Eli Lilly are currently facing such lawsuits; a series of cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleges that the companies’ GLP-1 drugs caused NAION and that both firms failed to adequately warn patients. These companies manufacture popular weight-loss and diabetes medications, including Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound.

Both companies maintain that these personal injury lawsuits are baseless; in court filings, Eli Lilly has asserted that its drugs are safe and effective.

Nevertheless, regulatory bodies in countries ranging from Japan and Australia to the UK and across Europe have mandated that manufacturers include warnings or information regarding NAION on drug labels.

No such warning is currently required in the United States, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating the potential link between NAION and these drugs after first identifying a possible association in late 2024.

In June 2025, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that NAION is a very rare side effect associated with semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—and recommended that Novo Nordisk add a warning to the labels of these drugs in Europe.

Labels for these medications in the UK, Japan, and Australia also include warnings or information regarding NAION. In Australia and New Zealand, the labels for other GLP-1 receptor agonists also include relevant information.

Dr. John J. Chen, a professor and specialist in optic nerve disorders at Mayo Clinic, stated that physicians should help patients weigh the risks and benefits. He noted that for patients requiring Ozempic to manage diabetes or heart disease, the benefits may outweigh the risks.