GLP-1 makers Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly hit with vision loss lawsuits

The legal overhang on GLP-1 blockbusters is growing. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, alleging that Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound caused a rare and often permanent form of vision loss known as NAION.

What the lawsuits allege

Patients who experienced sudden vision loss after receiving injections of GLP-1 obesity and diabetes treatments such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound are filing lawsuits seeking compensation from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, claiming that non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) developed after using the medicines.

NAION is a condition in which blood flow to the optic nerve decreases, causing sudden vision loss, and frequently the damage is permanent and does not recover. It usually affects one eye but sometimes both, and there is no approved treatment.

Scale of the litigation

Weitz & Luxenberg, a U.S. personal injury law firm, has filed more than 90 lawsuits in New Jersey state court since last year on behalf of patients who developed NAION while taking Ozempic or Wegovy.

As of May 2026, more than 4,400 lawsuits involving GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes medications are pending in federal court against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, with allegations covering gastroparesis, bowel obstruction, and vision loss linked to NAION.

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How the drugmakers are responding

Novo Nordisk said it takes reports of adverse events seriously but believes the personal injury lawsuits filed in the U.S. are without merit and is vigorously defending them.

A Lilly spokesperson told ABC News that patient safety is the company's top priority, that it actively monitors and reports safety information to the FDA, and that it will continue to review data including any regarding ophthalmic issues.

The regulatory backdrop

The FDA is currently evaluating whether regulatory action is required, while the European Medicines Agency and the UK's MHRA have already determined that the risk of NAION, at a frequency of very rare, should be added to product information for medications containing semaglutide.

In June 2025, the World Health Organization alerted healthcare professionals and regulatory authorities to the risk of NAION associated with semaglutide medications, including Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for reaction in the two names at the center of the litigation and adjacent GLP-1 exposure:

• NVO: Novo Nordisk is the defendant on Ozempic and Wegovy claims. Watch for options flow and implied volatility around any label-change chatter or MDL updates.
• LLY: Eli Lilly faces parallel Zepbound and Mounjaro cases. Watch for headline risk tied to court filings and FDA action.
• VKTX: Viking Therapeutics is a GLP-1 pipeline name that could see sentiment spillover on class-wide safety concerns.
• AMGN: Amgen's MariTide program keeps it on the GLP-1/obesity board and exposed to sector risk.

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