Federal Court Consolidates 70+ Lawsuits Alleging Ozempic, Wegovy Caused Vision Loss

Rights & Freedoms | Science & Health

11 hours ago

Originally posted by: Children's Health Defense

A surge of lawsuits alleging Ozempic, Wegovy and other weight-loss drugs caused sudden vision loss were consolidated into a new federal mass litigation Monday. It’s the second major legal battle confronting manufacturers of the blockbuster drugs, Reuters reported.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that all lawsuits claiming the drugs, also used to treat diabetes, caused partial or complete blindness be grouped in a new multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Pennsylvania.

The panel rejected drugmakers’ request to combine the eye injury cases into an existing MDL targeting severe gastrointestinal side effects, agreeing with plaintiffs that the vision loss claims involve different medical issues and require separate experts and evidence.

However, the same judge — U.S. District Judge Karen Marston, who already presides over the earlier MDL of nearly 3,000 lawsuits alleging that weight-loss drugs caused gastroparesis — will oversee both cases.

The two proceedings will move forward separately, but will coordinate because of overlapping factual issues and defendants.

The newly created MDL centers on claims that Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda, and Eli Lilly’s Trulicity, can trigger non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The condition is caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, which can result in permanent vision loss or blindness.

Thirty optic neuropathy lawsuits are pending in federal court, and more than 40 in state court, according to court records cited by Reuters. The cases began appearing after a July 2024 study in JAMA Ophthalmology raised concerns about a possible association between weight-loss drugs and the eye condition.

Drugmakers accused of ‘focusing on profit over safety’

The first MDL, centralized in February 2024, involves claims that medications including Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Trulicity and Mounjaro caused gastroparesis, leaving patients with chronic nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that — in some cases — required hospitalization.

The consumer plaintiffs allege that manufacturers failed to adequately warn patients and doctors about the risk of stomach paralysis, caused when the drugs slow down digestion to curb the appetite.

Drugmakers denied liability, arguing in court filings cited by Reuters that gastrointestinal risks are well documented and that they cannot change drug labels without approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The lawsuits collectively accuse manufacturers of prioritizing profits over patient safety by withholding or downplaying emerging risk signals as prescriptions surged nationwide.

One of the complaints, filed in August 2025 by Antwilla Wise, alleged that Eli Lilly’s advertising “elicits ‘a misleading impression regarding the safety and effectiveness of Trulicity’ that ‘minimizes the risks’” associated with its use. The suit criticizes “Eli Lilly’s willingness to mislead and omit important information, focusing on profit over safety.”

Tens of millions of people — including children — use GLP-1s weekly

Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 agonist weight-loss drugs mimic a hormone that regulates blood sugar and slows digestion, helping users feel full longer. An August study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 1 in 4 U.S. adults with diabetes had used a GLP-1 medication.

Doctors now widely prescribe the drugs for weight loss, which has triggered a surge in demand. Between early 2024 and late 2025, prescriptions roughly doubled, rising from about 6% to 12% of U.S. adults — meaning tens of millions of people use them each week, according to Trial Site News.

Use of GLP-1 drugs has also grown among children and teens. An August study in Pediatrics found that prescriptions for younger patients rose sharply after the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the medications for childhood obesity in 2023. Only Wegovy and Saxenda are approved for children.

In November, the Trump administration announced deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower prices on some GLP-1 drugs.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the medications “the biggest drug in our country” and said the price cuts would “have the biggest impact on the American people,” allowing all Americans — even those not on Medicaid or Medicare — to pay the same price for the drugs.

But with more people using the drugs, concerns over side effects are rising. Many patients experience nausea and diarrhea, especially early in treatment. More serious risks — including loss of muscle and bone mass, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, tooth decay and suicidal thoughts, in addition to vision changes and gastroparesis — have drawn increasing attention.

Rare adverse events have become more visible as millions of people take the drugs, fueling debate and raising questions, including a possible link to cancer.

At the same time, researchers, regulators and the mainstream media note that the drugs can provide benefits.

Clinical trials show semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus — can reduce kidney complications in some patients. Novo Nordisk funded a November 2023 study that claimed Wegovy can also lower the risk of heart problems.

In March 2024, the FDA approved the drug to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in overweight adults. In August 2025, the FDA also approved Wegovy to treat a common form of fatty liver disease.

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