The ‘Eye Stroke’ Lawsuits Rocking Ozempic, Wegovy & Zepbound

A growing wave of lawsuits is alleging that popular GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, may be linked to a rare and potentially permanent form of vision loss. The litigation is heading to court and is being overseen by a federal judge in Philadelphia. The case involves more than 130 cases alleging that the medications can cause non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, but what is this condition and why could it be dangerous? The condition occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is disrupted and can result in sudden, painless and irreversible vision loss. It is sometimes referred to as an “eye stroke.” Researchers have also found a link to NAION GLP-1 risk, so what’s happening in court?

NAION GLP-1 Risk: What are the lawsuits about?

According to Lawsuit Tracker, there are currently 146 pending cases involving GLP-1-related NAION claims in the multidistrict litigation, or MDL, with Judge Karen Spencer Marston presiding. The lawsuits name major drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which manufacture several of the most widely used GLP-1 medications.

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As previously reported, the litigation has grown since 2025, as patients who used drugs such as Ozempic have filed claims alleging that the medications may have contributed to their vision loss. Some of the cases have also been filed outside Pennsylvania, including in Massachusetts.

The lawsuits come amid research examining a possible connection between GLP-1 medications and NAION. A 2024 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology by researchers at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, and…