Washington (SOA) – More and more patients claim that popular weight loss and diabetes medications such as Ozempic may cause rare but very serious side effects, and they have never been warned: sudden, irreversible blindness. A Maryland man said it happened to him. He specifically discussed the spotlight of American correspondent Angie Moreschi, because we looked at why it would take so long to warn the public about this potential risk.
Todd Engel, 62, is relearning how to live life among men who are now blind.
“It was a disastrous adjustment for me. I can't drive. I'm out of work.”
Todd and Shelley have been married for 41 years. Nearly a year has passed since Todd started taking Ozempic to help control diabetes.
Todd Engel: I woke up, I was blind.
Angie Moreschi: Suddenly?
Todd Engel: Suddenly overnight. I'm very scared.
It's a struggle both physically and emotionally.
“What I miss the most is seeing my wife's beautiful face every day. I will never be able to see her face, how beautiful she is to me,” Todd said.
Todd and Shelley have been working hard to adjust and update their homes to visually special features, from Braille dots on appliances to the voice remote of the TV.
“It changed everything we knew before,” Shelley told Spotlight. “The hardest part is watching someone who can do anything, basically not doing anything. It's just devastating.”
NAION Diagnosis
Todd lost sight first on his right eye just a few months after being prescribed in September 2023 to help manage diabetes. Ozempic is part of a class of drugs called GLP-1, and doctors call game changers when treating diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
On the morning when he suddenly blinded to that eye, he and Shelley immediately went to see his ophthalmologist. Ultimately, this leads to the diagnosis of a rare disease called non-arterial pre-ischemic optic neuropathy, also known as NAIN, which causes sudden, irreversible blindness when blood flows to the optic nerve.
At that time, public awareness of sudden blindness was a possible risk factor for patients with diabetes who used GLP-1. So Todd stayed.
“The doctor and I don't know this, either. If I knew (the possible risks), it would be absolutely, clear, that would never be the case with me who would never take this medication or stay on this medication.”
Ten months later, his left eye also darkened. Now, Engels blames Ozes.
Shelley signaled to Todd: “There is no other change in your life except Ozes.” “They did all these tests to see what could be causing it. Each test returns to normal on what might affect it. So the only common factor is that he is on Ozempic.”
Research emerging
Around the same time Todd lost sight, studies began to emerge, using semaglutide (an active ingredient of ozempic, wegovy and Rybelsus) may increase the risk of NAIN in diabetics. It includes a Harvard University study in July 2024 that showed that diabetics who use halterutitin have four times higher risk of larvae and seven times higher risk of obese patients. The second Danish study, published in December 2024, shows that people with diabetes have twice the risk.
But there are conflicting data. Other studies earlier this year showed that there was “no significant increase in risk” or only “moderate increase.”
But just this summer, the European Medicines Agency conducted a safety review and recommended that the product information for Semaglutide drugs (i.e., Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy) be “updated to “update to NAION” as a side effect and have a “very rare” frequency.”
The EMA Safety Committee also issued this recommendation:
If a patient suddenly loses vision or rapidly deteriorates during treatment with semaglutide, they should contact their doctor immediately. If juveniles are confirmed, the use of semilubin treatment should be discontinued.
Additionally, this summer, the World Health Organization issued a security alert while using “Semaglutide Medicines -Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy”.
The WHO Medical Product Safety Advisory Committee concluded: “Semaglutide’s risk management plan should be modified to take NAION as a potential risk.”
In response to research that might link Semaglutide to Naion, Todd and nearly twenty other people filed a lawsuit alleging that the drug caused their blindness.
Grace Chandler, a consumer attorney at Motley Rice, represents Engels.
“It is ultimate responsibility to be aware of the risks associated with the drug and to warn of them when you understand them,” Chandler told Spotlight in the United States.
Warning about “visual changes”
Ozempic includes a warning about possible “visual changes” in its ads saying “tell your provider about vision problems or changes”, but does not specifically mention Naion.
Chandler said the warning was too vague.
“Naion not only makes vision loss worse. You've met Mr. Engel. It's permanent, irreversible blindness,” Chandler said.
Novo Nordisk is the manufacturer of Ozempic. The company declined to be interviewed by Spotlight in the United States, but provided the statement:
Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk and we place great emphasis on all reports of drug use. NAION is a very rare eye disease, and it is not based on a U.S.-approved label, which is not an adverse drug reaction to the sales formula of Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy). A portion of Novo Nordisk has conducted randomized controlled clinical trials of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including blind ophthalmologist evaluation to confirm NAIN diagnosis. Our current assessment is that these data do not indicate a causal relationship between GLP-1 RA use and NAION events. We continue to monitor the safety of our products and work closely with regulators to ensure that our guidance continues to be followed. Regarding the lawsuit, Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in the lawsuit are groundless and we intend to strongly defend these claims.
The European Medicines Agency's recommendation to update product information for Novo Nordisk Medications Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy is a very rare risk, the company told Spotlight:
Based on a large amount of evidence, Novo Nordisk concluded that the data did not indicate a reasonable possibility of a causal relationship between Semaglutide and Naion, and that “the benefits of Semaglutide are still beneficial.” Novo Nordisk will work with EMA to update EU SMPC and patient leaflets.
In June, the FDA cited “the severe and irreversible nature of Naion and the increasing popularity of GLP-1 RAS” and “safety issues over the past year,” and the FDA launched a sentinel study to assess the potential increase in the risk of sudden blindness using drugs such as Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.
Call for clear warning
Engels stressed that they want these products to be clearly marked with potential risks of naion, so patients can make informed decisions about whether to use them.
Todd told us: “I don't want anyone else to happen. It's devastating not only for me, but for my family.”
They tell Spotlight by telling stories, which will give others a better understanding of the potential risks of sudden blindness when using Semaglutides.
“There is no turning back. Don't like they can solve this problem or do something that helps us. That's it. He's always blind.”