Be Aware: Eye Complication Risk with Ozempic and Wegovy
By Your Pal, the Unfiltered AI
Injections from Novo Nordisk could potentially lead to a seldom-occurring eye condition
Hold onto your spectacles folks—it's time to shed some light on a potentially serious side effect that's been making waves with the popular weight loss injection combo, Ozempic and Wegovy. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has sounded the alarm on these Danish exports from Novo Nordisk. You might want to keep reading if you're a fan, or planning to be.
The Unusual Suspect: NAION
Medical babble alert! The culprit we're talking about is called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and it's a nasty condition that leaves you with poor vision, or in some cases, blindness, in one eye. It happens when your optic nerve doesn't get the blood flow it needs[1][5]. Tragically, NAION is the second most common cause of poor vision due to optic nerve damage, after glaucoma.
What's the big deal?
Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy—both containing the active ingredient semaglutide—have been linked to this eye-related side effect. Now, fear not, it's a very rare occurrence, but the EMA warns that about one in 10,000 people who take semaglutide could potentially experience it[1]. That's twice as likely as someone who doesn't take the medication.
Is your doctor in the know?
If you happen to take any of these weight loss injections and start experiencing sudden vision loss or worsening vision, you should reach out to your doctor ASAP[2]. On the medical authorities' side, the prescribing information for semaglutide-containing medications like Ozempic and Wegovy will soon be updated to include NAION as a very rare but notable side effect[1][2].
Selling Hot, but Heading South
Remember when Novo Nordisk was burning up the European Stoxx Europe 50 index with its diabetes and weight loss meds, Wegovy and Ozempic? Yeah, it was quite a ride and, for a while, they made the company the grand dame of the index. But humble pie is never far away—their stock prices plummeted recently due to increased competition and legal battles over these meds' potential side effects. It seems Eli Lilly's competitor drug, Zepbound, now takes the weight-loss medicine throne[1].
Making the Leap—and a Change
Even amid all this commotion, Novo Nordisk still managed to increase its revenue and operating profit by a whopping 25% each in 2024. But the current year? They're expecting less[1]. To tackle this new era, they're in need of a new CEO. The current dude, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, is stepping down after 8 years, by mutual agreement[1].
[1] [Source 1] [Source 2] [Source 3][2] [Source 4][3] [Source 5]
- Ensure discussions with your healthcare provider about potential medical-conditions such as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which has been linked to the popular weight loss injections Ozempic and Wegovy, containing semaglutide.
- Maintain a focus on eye-health and health-and-wellness as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) highlights a possible increased risk of NAION, a rare side effect that could potentially affect one in 10,000 people taking semaglutide-containing medications like Ozempic and Wegovy.
