Novo Nordisk weight loss drug linked to rare eye condition: study

Novo Nordisk Investors appeared unfazed Thursday by a major Harvard report linking diet pills to a rare eye disease.

Semaglutide, found in weight-loss drugs including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, may be linked to an increased risk of a rare eye disease, according to a study. learn conducted by Harvard Medical School.

However, analysts said the study results were “unlikely to be a game changer.” Shares of the Danish pharmaceutical company were little changed on Thursday, falling in early morning trading before rising 0.1% as of 11:17 a.m. London time.

A Harvard report found that patients with type 2 diabetes or obesity who were prescribed semaglutide were at increased risk of developing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) — a condition that can lead to vision loss in one eye. The study found that patients were more likely to be diagnosed with the eye disease than patients who were not prescribed the weight-loss drug.

While the paper suggests “some correlation” with a rare eye event, the quality of the evidence is “very low, the margin of error is very wide,” according to Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Papadakis.

Papadakis said the worst-case scenario would be to update the drug labeling, which would be “hardly game-changing.”

Deutsche Bank has traditionally viewed semaglutide as “one of the lowest-risk therapeutic classes in the industry in terms of safety,” he added.

Optic neuropathy, says Novo Nordisk spokesperson NAION There were no “adverse drug reactions to marketed semaglutide formulations,” according to the approved label. They added that there were “major methodological limitations” to the study, such as the “small number of people” with type 2 diabetes or obesity who were exposed to semaglutide and included in the trial.

“Patient safety is Novo Nordisk’s top priority and we take all reports of side effects associated with the use of our medicines very seriously,” a spokesperson said.

The popularity of its blockbuster drugs has helped Novo Nordisk grow into Europe’s most valuable company, with a valuation greater than Denmark’s gross domestic product last year.

Wegovy has also been shown to have health benefits beyond weight loss and blood sugar regulation. The Food and Drug Administration in March approved It is used to reduce the risk of heart disease.

However, these drugs have faced scrutiny after some patients reported experiencing Gastroparesis And suicidal ideation while taking them. A study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia noted an increased risk of intestinal obstruction, a disorder that prevents food from passing through the small or large intestine, and pancreatitis.

Drug labels include warnings about pancreatitis And certain types Bowel obstruction. Vision changes are also listed as potential side effects of both Ozempic and Wegovy.

The US study, published on Wednesday, analysed data from 16,827 patients between December 2017 and November last year. The researchers noted that further research is needed to assess whether semaglutide causes the eye condition.

CNBC’s Jenni Reid contributed to this report.