A study by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School found that the use of the weight loss drug semaglutide, produced by Novo Nordisk A/S, may increase the risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). NAION is a rare eye disease that can potentially lead to blindness.
A new Harvard study reveals that weight loss drugs may increase the risk of eye diseases, which can lead to blindness in severe cases, causing a drop in the related pharmaceutical stocks.
On July 3rd, a team from Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School, published a paper in JAMA Ophthalmology titled "Risk of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Associated with the Use of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs)", which has attracted widespread attention from the medical and investment communities.
The study found that using GLP-1 weight loss drugs, including semaglutide, produced by Novo Nordisk, could increase the risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in patients.
NAION is a rare eye disease mainly caused by insufficient blood supply to the front of the optic nerve. It can cause sudden, painless loss of vision and visual field defects, usually affecting people over the age of 50. Hypertension, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases are the main risk factors, and some drugs may also increase the risk of disease. There is no specific treatment at present.
The research team analyzed medical records of more than 17,000 patients who visited Massachusetts Eye and Ear over six years since Ozempic was launched, comparing the incidence of NAION in patients using semaglutide with those using other diabetes or weight loss drugs.
They found that in diabetic patients receiving semaglutide prescriptions and actually using the drug, the diagnosis rate of NAION was more than 4 times that of patients who did not use the drug. For overweight or obese patients, the risk was even higher, more than 7 times.
The team, led by Joseph Rizzo, director of neuro-ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, wrote in the paper that although semaglutide brings significant benefits in many ways, NAION should be listed as a potential risk factor in future doctor-patient discussions.
However, they also listed limitations of the study in the paper, such as sample population characteristics, number of cases and other factors that may affect the generalizability of the results. At the same time, the researchers also emphasized that although the increased risk of disease was observed, NAION itself is still a relatively rare disease.
Mahyar Etminan, a drug safety researcher at the University of British Columbia, commented that if the results of the study are confirmed, it will change the risk-benefit assessment of such drugs.
After the publication of the study, Novo Nordisk, listed on the Copenhagen stock exchange, fell 2.6%. Previously, U.S. President Biden and Democratic Senator Sanders published a joint op-ed in USA Today, urging large pharmaceutical companies to lower the price of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, which has put pressure on the stock prices of Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.