Ozempic manufacturer sued after medication 'leaves people blind'
A grandmother from the US is suing the manufacturer of medications Ozempic and Wegovy after experiencing 'devastating' permanent sight loss in both eyes.
US woman Cilette Mitchell, 64, began taking injections back in 2023 in a bid to lose weight, but was left devastated when she found her vision becoming severely impaired.
Ozempic is a medication designed to treat patients with Type-2 diabetes, and is not approved by the FDA to be used for weight loss in both the UK and US - but due to one of its main side effects being weight loss, many have been using it solely for this purpose - including a host of celebrities, such as Jeremy Clarkson and Amy Schumer.
Meanwhile, Wegovy - the brand name for semaglutide - is approved for managing obesity and weight loss in the UK, and is only accessible with a prescription.
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Cilette claims the sight loss is a side effect from taking GLP-1 injections, and is now taking legal action against Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, accusing them of being 'deceptive and misleading about the true risks' involved in taking the drugs.
The grandmother-of-11 says she first began noticing slight blurriness in her vision three months after starting her regime - first with Wegovy, and then Ozempic - which later graduated to 'dark, cloudy shadows' in her right eye.
Cilette then sought help from an ophthalmologist, who urged her to rush to hospital, where an MRI revealed she had non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in her right eye.
But the devastation didn't end there.
"While playing with my grandchildren, the dark clouds started to creep in on my other eye,” Cilette told the New York Post. "The next day, the doctor confirmed that I developed NAION in that eye as well, with the result being permanent vision loss."
The debilitating loss of sight has left her needing help 'doing daily activities and navigating life'.
"It pains me to think I won’t be able to fully see my grandchildren’s faces and fully experience the biggest moments of my loved ones’ lives," Cilette continued.
"Had I known that Ozempic would take my vision, I would have never taken it."
The lawsuit includes a second person - a man from New Jersey - who claims his eyesight was permanently affected by the jabs, meaning he 'can no longer drive, can no longer read, and is completely dependent on his wife for day-to-day assistance'.
The pair state that NAION is not listed among the potential side effects warned against when using the drug.
Novo Nordisk says NAION is 'rare' and 'not an adverse drug reaction' from the injections.
A rep for the drug manufacturer said to the Post: "Novo Nordisk is of the opinion that the benefit-risk profile of [the alleged culprit ingredient] semaglutide remains unchanged."
However, lawyer Craig Silverman says both plaintiffs 'strongly reject Novo Nordisk’s dismissive attempt to minimise the serious risks associated with its blockbuster weight loss drugs'.
Side effects of Ozempic
WebMD states the most common potential side effects of taking Ozempic (semaglutide) as;
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach pain
- Constipation
Less common, more serious potential side effects are listed as:
Breathing problems, racing heart, fever, swollen lymph nodes, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, trouble swallowing or throat tightness, itching, skin rash, or pale red bumps on the skin called hives, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting, stomach cramps, pancreatitis, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), headaches, anxiety, blurry vision, slurred speech, sweating, feeling jittery or shakiness, fast heartbeat, weakness, thyroid tumours, vision changes, kidney damage, swelling in your feet, ankles, or legs, difficulty catching your breath or chest pain/pressure, seizures, and gallbladder problems.
LADbible has reached out to Novo Nordisk for further comment.
Emma Rosemurgey