This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Novo Nordisk (NVO, Financials) saw renewed attention after Denmark’s patient compensation authority approved payouts to four individuals who experienced vision loss while taking semaglutide-based drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. The patients were awarded a total of 800,000 Danish crowns following a specialist review. One additional claim was rejected.
The authority said the cases were complex because semaglutide has been linked in very rare situations to non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, a condition that can cause permanent vision loss. European regulators added NAION to product labels in June, noting it may occur in up to 1 in 10,000 patients.
Denmark’s compensation authority, which operates independently and is funded by the state, has received 43 claims related to alleged semaglutide-associated vision issues. The rulings do not assign legal liability to Novo Nordisk.
Semaglutide remains central to Novo Nordisk’s diabetes and weight-management portfolio, and demand for both medications remains elevated.