Drug class that includes semaglutide linked to eye condition in diabetics, but risk is still low overall

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-06-06 01:00

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Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), often known under the names Semaglutide, Ozempic, Wegovy, Liraglutide, and Tirzepatide, could be linked to an increased risk of an eye issue that affects vision known as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in patients with diabetes, according to international researchers. The study involved 139,002 people – comparing those who took GLP-1RAs with unexposed patients. It found that while the risk of developing nAMD is still low in both groups, more than twice as many patients with diabetes who took GLP1-RAs developed nAMD compared to similar patients who had not, and the risk was highest (more than three times as high) among those with the longest exposure. While there could be many other factors at play, clinicians should keep an eye out for potential complications and report any adverse effects to help the medical community better weigh up the trade-off between benefits and risks, the team says.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Ophthalmology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Toronto, Canada

Funder: No funding was obtained for this study. Drs Kohly and Muni’s research is supported by the Silver Target Foundation. Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Reut Shor reported a contribution for the research team not specifically related to this study from the Silver Target Foundation during the conduct of the study. Dr Popovic reported grants from the PSI Foundation and Fighting Blindness Canada outside the submitted work. Dr Muni reported a contribution for the research team not specifically related to this study from the Silver Target Foundation during the conduct of the study and consultancy for and financial support to his institution from Alcon, Apellis, AbbVie, Bayer, Bausch Health, and Roche outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

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