Side Effects Committee warns against feared illness due to Wegovy and Ozempic

« If you experience a sudden loss of vision or a rapid deterioration of the vision, you should immediately go to the doctor and have it examined. If it is confirmed that it is Naion, you should stop with the medicine and switch to another treatment, » says Unit Manager Line Michan from the Danish Medicines Agency.

According to the authorities, the first reports of the disease came from Danish patients in the summer of 2024, and since then the Danish Medicines Agency has collected a total of 28 cases until May 2025. 15 patients have used Wegovy, while 13 have used Ozempic – and one patient has used both of them as well as Rybelsus.

At the same time, the patients who use the medication are a target group that is already at increased risk of naion – including people with high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol levels. This makes it difficult to determine whether the disease is due to the treatment or underlying health problems.

Prac’s recommendation must now be assessed by EMA’s Medicines Committee CHMP, and if they endorse the conclusion, the European Commission must make the final decision.

« We have been aware of whether Naion could be a potential side effect of the Semaglutid drugs since we received the first reports of the eye disease of Danish patients in the summer of 2024. When the two Danish register studies were published, we urged Prac to start a separate procedure to investigate this security signal. »

Authorities are calling on patients and healthcare professionals to report suspicions of side effects so that the image of the medication’s safety can be constantly updated. Messages can be submitted via The Danish Medicines Agency’s website.