The US Food and Drug Administration said on the 9th that GLP-1 receptor agonists, used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, may cause sudden vision loss, and it is asking drugmakers to add the risk to package inserts, Kyodo News reported.
In Japan, the drugs are sold as diabetes treatments including Mounjaro. Off-label use for weight loss has been increasing, and it has become a problem.
The FDA said the drugs may raise the risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, a condition in which vision in one eye drops sharply without pain. It can lead to permanent vision loss.
Patients who suspect the condition should see an eye doctor and consider stopping the drug, the agency said.
Rate 1.7 times higher in trials
The neuropathy occurs in about 2 to 10 people per 100,000 aged 50 and over each year. In clinical trials, patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists developed it at about 1.7 times the rate of those on other blood sugar-lowering drugs.