GLP-1 Vision-Loss Claims: Assessing a Rare, Serious Injury

Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, can cause sudden and lasting vision loss when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced. Patients who developed NAION after taking GLP-1 medications have sued drugmakers, alleging that the drugs contributed to their injuries and that warnings were inadequate. The medical evidence remains contested.

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As of September 1, 2026, 216 actions were pending in the federal NAION proceeding, compared with 29 on January 5.¹ The Wall Street Journal also reported that one law firm had filed more than 90 Ozempic and Wegovy NAION lawsuits in New Jersey state court since 2025. That is the firm's filing count, not a statewide total.² Growth in the federal count includes cases added through transfer; it does not measure an increase in NAION diagnoses.

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Key Takeaways

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• Pending federal NAION actions have risen, but filings do not establish causation.
• Research points to a rare potential risk with semaglutide, although findings differ.
• Each claim requires careful review of the diagnosis, treatment timeline and medical history.

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What Medical Evidence Shows

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Most research has focused on semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. NAION is rare, and conditions common among people prescribed these drugs can also raise their risk.

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None of these rates answers why a particular patient lost vision. Findings about semaglutide also should not be applied automatically to every GLP-1 product. Australia has updated safety information across the class, although its expert review found stronger evidence of a potential signal for semaglutide than for certain other products.⁶

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Why Individual Claims Are Complex

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The FDA listed NAION as a potential safety signal in its October–December 2024 monitoring report. In September 2026, an FDA spokesperson said the agency was still assessing the possible link and had not set a date for a decision.⁷

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European regulators have concluded that NAION is a very rare semaglutide side effect and updated product information. The difference will likely be examined in litigation over warnings, along with what was known when each patient received the drug.³

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An individual file calls for more than a prescription record and a later diagnosis. Eye examinations must support the NAION diagnosis. Earlier records may show optic-nerve findings or other vision problems. Prescribing and pharmacy records establish which drug the patient used, the dose, and the timing of treatment and symptoms. The medical history may reveal other risk factors. Together, those records give specialists and claims teams a basis to assess the alleged connection in that particular case.

How Alan Gray Can Help

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The federal proceeding identifies regulatory history and labeling among the common questions to be examined.⁸ As filings grow, insurers and reinsurers need a consistent way to identify which files warrant specialist review, closer reserving attention or a change in defense strategy.

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Alan Gray can review NAION claim files for the records that matter most: confirmation of the diagnosis, earlier eye findings, the precise drug and treatment timeline and documented risk factors.

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A cross-file review can show whether those records are being gathered consistently and whether similar claims are reaching different decisions. Alan Gray can also assess how medical experts are used, test the support for reserves, and review defense and expert spending as the litigation develops. Those findings give claims leaders a clearer basis for oversight across a growing group of serious vision-loss claims.

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Citations

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1. United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. MDL Statistics Report: Distribution of Pending MDL Dockets by Actions Pending. 5 Jan. and 1 Sept. 2026. January report; September report.
2. Janin, Alex. "Patients Sue GLP-1 Drugmakers Over Risk of Sudden Vision Loss." The Wall Street Journal, 18 Sept. 2026. Article.
3. European Medicines Agency. "PRAC Concludes Eye Condition NAION Is a Very Rare Side Effect of Semaglutide Medicines Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy." 6 June 2025. EMA announcement.
4. Liu, Zhengyang, et al. "Rate and Risk of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy with Semaglutide Use for Diabetes and Weight Loss." Ophthalmology, vol. 133, no. 5, 2026, pp. 589–598. Study abstract. See also Chou, Chien-Chih, et al. "Association between Semaglutide and Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy." Ophthalmology, vol. 132, no. 4, 2025, pp. 381–388. Study abstract.
5. Vilsbøll, Tina, et al. "Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy Incidence in Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials of Liraglutide or Semaglutide." British Journal of Ophthalmology, 28 Apr. 2026. Study abstract.
6. Therapeutic Goods Administration. "GLP-1 RAs and Rare Vision Disorder." 23 July 2026. Australian safety update.
7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "October–December 2024: New Safety Information or Potential Signals of Serious Risks Identified from the FDA Adverse Event Monitoring System." 31 Mar. 2025. FDA safety-signal listing. See also Janin, Alex. "Patients Sue GLP-1 Drugmakers Over Risk of Sudden Vision Loss." The Wall Street Journal, 18 Sept. 2026. Article.
8. United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Transfer Order, MDL No. 3163. 15 Dec. 2025. Transfer order.

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