Dozens of people sue GLP-1 drug companies over alleged vision loss
More than 90 lawsuits against GLP-1 companies claim rare eye condition resulted from diabetes and weight loss drugs.
Dozens of people have filed lawsuits in the United States against GLP-1 companies, which make popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, claiming their products caused a rare condition that can cause permanent vision loss, US media outlets report.
The cases and alleged risk could present a significant challenge to a fledgling industry that analysts expected to generate about $100bn in annual sales in the next 10 years after being taken by millions of people in the US and making inroads into combatting widespread obesity in the country.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical giant that makes Wegovy and Ozempic, said the lawsuits lacked merit and the company was vigorously contesting them, according to The Wall Street Journal, while Eli Lilly, which produces Zepbound, did not comment on the litigation but said it was reviewing the data on potential health risks.
Researchers have said, however, that for those who do develop the condition, it happens within the first six to 18 months of starting a GLP-1 medication.