A widely-used antidiabetic drug called Semaglutide may pose a risk of vision loss, according to a study by researchers in Boston. In 2024, the market size of Semaglutide is estimated at $27.55 billion, and it’s expected to grow to $50.34 billion by 2029, with an annual growth rate of 12.8%. This drug, sold under brand names like Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, is a popular treatment for diabetes and obesity.
The study, titled “Risk of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in Patients Prescribed Semaglutide,” was published in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology. It suggested that constant use of Semaglutide might lead to a condition called non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). NAION is the second most common form of optic neuropathy and a major cause of adult blindness, with an incidence of 2-10 cases per 100,000 people.
“Our anecdotal clinical experience motivated us to study whether Semaglutide is associated with an increased risk of developing NAION,” said the researchers.
The researchers, including Jimena Tatiana Hathaway, Madhura P Shah, and David B Hathaway, are affiliated with institutions in Boston such as Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Harvard Medical School.
The study, a matched cohort study, involved 16,287 patients. It found a higher risk of NAION in patients prescribed Semaglutide compared to those prescribed non-glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist medications for diabetes or obesity.
“The findings suggest a potential risk of NAION associated with prescriptions for Semaglutide, but future study is required to assess causality,” the researchers said.
Out of the 16,827 patients studied, 710 had Type 2 diabetes (194 were prescribed Semaglutide and 516 were prescribed non-GLP-1 RA antidiabetic medications). The median age of these patients was 59 years, and 52% were female. Additionally, 979 were overweight or obese. In the group with Type 2 diabetes, there were 17 NAION events in patients prescribed Semaglutide compared to six in the non-GLP-1 RA group. Over a period of 36 months, the cumulative incidence rates of NAION were 8.9% for the Semaglutide group.
The analysis showed that patients treated with Semaglutide had a higher risk of developing NAION compared to those on non-GLP-1 RA antidiabetes medications. Among overweight or obese patients, 20 NAION events were reported in the Semaglutide group versus three in the non-GLP-1 RA group, resulting in a 6.7% cumulative incidence rate over 36 months.
Semaglutide (Ozempic; Novo Nordisk) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2017 to treat Type 2 diabetes and in December 2022 to treat obesity (typically at higher doses, as Wegovy by Novo Nordisk). The researchers noted that weekly new-to-brand prescriptions of these and other GLP-1 RA drugs in the United States increased by approximately 60% from 2021 to 2023.
Doctors believe more data is needed before making any final conclusions.