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The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) has initiated a review of semaglutide-containing medicines after concerns were raised regarding a potential increased risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare eye condition. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), is used in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, with medicines like Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy containing the active substance. A report from the PRAC highlighted two recent observational studies that suggest patients treated with semaglutide may face a higher risk of developing NAION. This condition, caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, can result in vision loss in the affected eye. However, two other recent observational studies did not show an increased risk, according to the report.

Amid the rapid rise in semaglutide usage, a study has suggested a potential risk of a rare eye condition associated with the weight loss drug. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), is available under the brand name Ozempic (by Novo Nordisk) in a lower-dose form for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and as Wegovy (also by Novo Nordisk) in a higher-dose form for weight management in patients with high body mass indexes. Anecdotal evidence has indicated that semaglutide might be linked to nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). To investigate this potential connection, researchers in the United States analysed data over a six-year period from nearly 17,000 neuro-ophthalmology patients at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, all of whom had no prior history of NAION.