FDA adds rare blindness warning to popular GLP-1 drugs

• U.S. health regulators announced that popular GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro, will carry a new warning label regarding a rare side effect that can lead to permanent vision loss.
• The condition, known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, results from reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, though the underlying mechanism causing this reduced flow is not yet fully understood.
• The decision follows an FDA review initiated after a 2024 medical paper linked the condition to patients taking semaglutide, leading regulators to evaluate clinical trial data and injury report databases.
• An FDA analysis of more than 125 clinical trials determined the vision condition occurred in approximately 6 out of every 100,000 patients taking a GLP-1 drug for at least one year, compared to under 4 per 100,000 in placebo or control groups.
• Patients taking GLP-1 medications are advised to contact a healthcare professional immediately if they experience symptoms such as blurred vision, blind spots, distorted colors, or other visual disturbances.

IN FULL

Weight loss drugs linked to new rare side effect as new warning labels required