An independent Danish body has ruled that four people who developed serious eye problems after using the weight-loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic will receive compensation. Both medicines are produced by Novo Nordisk and are widely used around the world.
More than 40 people had applied for reimbursement, claiming the drugs caused a rare eye disorder known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). This condition occurs when the optic nerve does not get enough blood supply, which can lead to permanent vision loss.
The Danish Patient Compensation Association reviewed five cases so far and found that four patients are eligible for compensation. According to the association’s director, Karen-Inger Bast, the cases were difficult to evaluate because the drugs are relatively new and the patients already had an increased risk of developing NAION. She described the side effect as serious and irreversible.
The four patients will receive a combined payout of 800,000 kroner (about $123,000). The amount may increase depending on how the condition affects their long-term health, including their ability to work.
In Denmark, health authorities usually handle medical compensation cases. Last year, the Danish Medicines Agency asked European regulators to review a study linking semaglutide, the main ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, to NAION.
In June, the European Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) concluded that NAION is a “very rare” side effect, affecting up to one in 10,000 users.
Novo Nordisk said it has reviewed the Danish decision. The company noted that all semaglutide products now list NAION as a “very rare” side effect in patient information, but emphasized that the overall benefits of the drugs still outweigh the risks.
