Wegovy users have five times greater risk of sudden sight loss than Ozempic users, study finds | Health
Patients taking Wegovy have practically five times the risk of sudden sight loss of these on Ozempic, a large-scale study you have discovered.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medicines equivalent to semaglutide (offered as Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus) and tirzepetide (offered as Mounjaro) assist cut back blood sugar ranges, sluggish digestion and cut back urge for food, and have been linked to reduced risks of heart attack, fewer drug overdoses and different well being advantages.
But a study, printed within the British Journal of Ophthalmology, discovered that sufferers taking Wegovy for weight loss had a fivefold greater probability of growing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (Naion) than the diabetes drug Ozempic, whereas males had a 3 times greater risk than girls.
These “eye strokes” cause sudden and usually permanent vision loss (pdf) attributable to diminished blood circulate to the optic nerve.
Although uncommon, affecting around one in 10,000 people who take semaglutidethere was “a potential dose-dependent safety concern” for the drug, the study discovered.
Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus – made by Novo Nordisk – all include semaglutide, however have completely different dosages and formulations.
Dr Edward Margolin, from the division of ophthalmology on the University of Toronto and one of the authors of the analysis, stated Naion was prone to be “a real side-effect” of semaglutide, and sooner, faster or extra aggressive weight loss could be prone to “increase the risk” of Naion.
The study examined studies of side-effects submitted to the US medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, by its adverse event reporting system between December 2017 and December 2024.
Canadian researchers in contrast any studies of Naion related to as much as 2mg of weekly injectable Ozempic for kind 2 diabetes; as much as 2.4mg of weekly injectable Wegovy for weight problems – the very best authorised dose – and a every day Rybelsus pill for kind 2 diabetes. They additionally examined reported side-effects from tirzepatide (Mounjaro).
The study discovered that Wegovy had the strongest affiliation with sudden imaginative and prescient loss. In distinction, the authors discovered no elevated risk with Rybelsus tablets or tirzepatide.
The authors stated that the excessive doses of Wegovy and the actual fact injections have been faster-acting might clarify why the affiliation was greater. In distinction, the restricted absorption and slower uptake of Rybelsus tablets most likely defined the absence of a detectable hyperlink, they stated.
The findings got here after the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued a drug security replace in February, warning in regards to the risk of Naion. It adopted related warnings by the European medicines regulator.
Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA chief security officer, stated: “The risk of Naion in patients prescribed semaglutide is extremely low. However, as with all medicines, patients and prescribers need to be aware of the symptoms of potential side-effects, even if the risk is very small, to ensure patients receive the appropriate treatment promptly should they occur.”
Samantha Mann, a advisor ophthalmologist and diabetic eye screening lead on the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, stated: “This study relied on reported side-effects and so cannot prove causation or determine how common this problem truly is. An increase in this form of optic nerve ‘stroke’ has however not been widely observed in routine clinical practice at St Thomas’ in London, where I work. Further studies are therefore needed to clarify if this increased risk is indeed real.”
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk stated: “Patient safety is our top priority, and we take any reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously. We work closely with authorities and regulatory bodies from around the world to continuously monitor the safety profile of our products.”
The EU affected person leaflets for Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus had been up to date to incorporate Naion, they added, however “based on the totality of evidence, we concluded that the data did not suggest a reasonable possibility of a causal relationship between semaglutide and Naion and Novo Nordisk believes that the benefit-risk profile of semaglutide remains favorable.”
