Dozens sue Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly over GLP-1 vision loss claims

September 22, 2026 at 08:23 PM3 min

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Dozens of people have filed lawsuits in the United States against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, claiming their GLP-1 drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound caused a rare eye condition that can lead to permanent vision loss. The lawsuits allege the companies failed to adequately warn patients about the risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Novo Nordisk said the lawsuits lack merit and it is contesting them vigorously, while Eli Lilly said it is reviewing data on potential health risks.

Key Facts

More than 90 lawsuits have been filed against Novo Nordisk in a New Jersey state court since 2025 by personal-injury firm Weitz & Luxembourg on behalf of patients who developed NAION while taking GLP-1 drugs.
Separate lawsuits have been filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania claiming GLP-1 treatments caused NAION and that drugmakers failed to adequately warn of the risks.
NAION is a rare condition involving sudden, painless loss of vision due to reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, often called an 'eye stroke,' and the damage is usually irreversible.
Researchers have said that for those who develop NAION, it typically occurs within the first six to 18 months of starting a GLP-1 medication.
Analysts expected the GLP-1 industry to generate about $100 billion in annual sales within the next 10 years.

The Lawsuits

Dozens of people have filed lawsuits in the United States against GLP-1 drugmakers, including Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, claiming their products caused nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition that can lead to permanent vision loss. A personal-injury firm called Weitz & Luxembourg has filed more than 90 lawsuits against Novo Nordisk in a New Jersey state court since 2025 on behalf of patients who developed NAION while taking their products. Separate lawsuits have also been filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, claiming that GLP-1 treatments caused NAION and that drugmakers failed to adequately warn of their risks. In one lawsuit filed by a woman in Pennsylvania, the patient said that after taking medication for her diabetes, her vision was like looking through a 'fishbowl,' and two weeks later she was diagnosed with NAION.

Company Responses

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy and Ozempic, said the lawsuits lacked merit and the company was vigorously contesting them, according to The Wall Street Journal. Eli Lilly, which produces Zepbound, did not comment on the litigation but said it was reviewing the data on potential health risks. The cases and alleged risk could present a significant challenge to a fledgling industry that analysts expected to generate about $100 billion in annual sales in the next 10 years.

NAION and Research

NAION is a condition in which sudden loss of vision happens due to a painless reduction of blood flow to the optic nerve, often referred to as an 'eye stroke,' and the damage is usually irreversible and quite rare. Scientific research has pointed to possible incidents in which patients who have taken GLP-1s end up being more likely to develop the condition, but it remains unclear how or if the drug is the cause of these problems. Researchers have said that for those who do develop the condition, it happens within the first six to 18 months of starting a GLP-1 medication.