FDA Requires Eye-risk Warnings on Popular GLP-1 Drugs
WHO:
CBS News - Neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Joseph Rizzo, who co-authored the paper on NAION and semaglutide, said he and his team had worked with the FDA to gather and review data.
CBS News - Novo Nordisk said it believes the data do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship and remains confident in the benefit-risk profile of its GLP-1 medicines.
CBS News - Eli Lilly said it was “carefully evaluating the update and will respond to FDA promptly”; it added that the FDA communication does not reference findings specific to Lilly medicines.
AP - The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and private foundations; AP said it is solely responsible for its content.
ABC News - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the warning for GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity, diabetes and other medical conditions.
ABC News - The drugs named include Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro; the class includes a dozen injectable or pill-based medications.
ABC News - FDA scientists investigated the possible eye risk after a 2024 medical paper linked non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) to some patients taking semaglutide, the active drug in Ozempic.
CNN - The FDA named Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy among the drugs requiring updated labeling.
CNN - Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
CNN - The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee said Wegovy and Ozempic may, in very rare cases, cause NAION.
CNN - Four patients in Denmark who experienced vision loss after using Novo’s GLP-1 drugs were granted compensation, according to the Danish Patient Compensation.
WHAT:
STAT - NAION is sometimes called an “eye stroke,” typically causes sudden vision loss, and has no proven treatments.
CBS News - The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates NAION affects 2 to 10 of every 100,000 adults over age 50 who are not taking GLP-1 drugs.
CBS News - Rizzo said vision loss from NAION tends to be irreversible and can worsen after a patient stops taking the medication; he said the degree of vision loss in one eye does not predict severity in the other.
ABC News - The FDA is adding a warning about possible rare vision loss to the labeling of all GLP-1 drugs.
ABC News - An FDA analysis of more than 125 clinical trials found NAION in roughly 6 per 100,000 patients who took a GLP-1 for at least one year; the rate was under 4 per 100,000 among people taking a placebo or other glucose-lowering medicines.
ABC News - Symptoms can include blurred vision, blind spots, distorted colors and other visual disturbances. The FDA advised affected patients to contact a health care professional immediately.
CNN - The FDA is requiring information about the potential increased NAION risk in the “warnings and precautions” section of GLP-1 drug labeling.
CNN - NAION is a common cause of sudden, painless vision loss and can sometimes cause permanent impairment of sight.
CNN - The EMA said NAION may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people taking semaglutide for at least one year. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Wegovy, Ozempic and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Rybelsus.
CNN - A study published in 2025 tracked nearly 175,000 diabetic patients treated with semaglutide and an equal number taking non-GLP-1 medications; it found NAION risk more than doubled after two years of GLP-1 treatment compared with other diabetes medicines.
WHERE:
ABC News - The announcement was made in Washington.
CNN - The four patients granted compensation were in Denmark.
WHY:
ABC News - The FDA said the warning follows reports of NAION associated with GLP-1 drugs and findings from clinical trials and its electronic reporting system for drug injuries and side effects.
CNN - The FDA evaluated clinical-trial data, animal data, post-marketing data, observational studies and case reports.
HOW:
New York Post - Gary Brecka recommended starting with six minutes of daily resistance exercise to help preserve lean body mass while using GLP-1 drugs; he also advised at least three days of resistance training and three days of cardiovascular training each week.
New York Post - Brecka said roughly 20% to 40% of weight lost with GLP-1 drugs may be lean body mass.
New York Post - Current federal dietary guidelines recommend 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
CBS News - Rizzo said, “The medicines have really been profoundly beneficial to a large number of people,” and said he does not discourage patients from taking GLP-1 drugs.
AP - The FDA said the rare vision-loss problem had been reported with all GLP-1 drugs.
ABC News - NAION involves decreased blood flow to the optic nerve; the underlying cause is not understood.
CNN - NAION involves decreased blood flow to the front part of the optic nerve; its underlying cause is not completely understood.
(UPDATED November 10, 2026 12:59 UTC)
The FDA is adding rare vision-loss warnings to labels for all GLP-1 drugs. The warning follows reports linking these medicines to NAION, which can cause permanent vision loss. Novo Nordisk says evidence does not establish causation, while Lilly is evaluating the update.
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(UPDATED November 10, 2026 01:04 UTC)
The FDA is adding warnings about rare vision loss to all GLP-1 drug labels. The warning follows reports linking these medicines to optic-nerve damage, which can cause permanent impairment. Patients experiencing vision changes should contact a health professional promptly.
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(UPDATED November 10, 2026 00:04 UTC)
The FDA is requiring GLP-1 drugs to warn of rare, potentially permanent vision loss. The warning follows reports linking drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy to optic nerve damage. Patients experiencing blurred vision or other visual changes should contact a health professional immediately.
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(UPDATED November 9, 2026 22:07 UTC)
The FDA is adding rare vision-loss warnings to labels for popular GLP-1 medications. The warning follows reports linking these drugs to damage of the optic nerve. Patients experiencing blurred vision or sudden sight changes should contact healthcare professionals immediately.