Novo Nordisk's Ozempic undergoes examination for possible link to uncommon eye disease.

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A potential unintended side effect of Ozempic, the blockbuster diabetes injection, has been discovered.

Danish health authorities have requested the European Union's drug regulator to review the findings of two Danish studies linking Ozempic to an increased risk of a rare vision-threatening eye condition in Type 2 diabetes patients.

The condition known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, results in vision loss due to reduced blood flow to the front part of the optic nerve, linking the eye to the brain.

In the U.S., between 2.3 and 10.3 people per 100,000 people per year are affected by NAION, a disease that usually does not cause any pain and typically affects individuals over the age of 50.

The Danish Medicines Agency closely monitored NAION as a potential side effect of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, over the past six months. By December 10th, the agency had received 19 reports of the condition in Denmark.

Since Ozempic was introduced in Denmark in 2018, the number of NAION cases in the country has increased, according to Professor Jakob Grauslund of the University of Southern Denmark. Prior to the introduction of Ozempic, Denmark saw around 60 to 70 cases per year, but now has up to 150 cases annually. Grauslund, who was involved in one of the studies, made the statement in a release on Monday.

The growing popularity of GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, which mimic gut hormones to control blood sugar and suppress appetite, is a cause for concern, despite their high cost and potential side effects, such as nausea and vomiting.

Novo Nordisk has concluded that the benefit-risk profile of semaglutide remains unchanged after conducting a thorough evaluation of studies and an internal safety assessment. The company emphasized that patient safety is a top priority.

Diabetes patients who used Ozempic were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with the condition than those who took another diabetes drug, according to studies conducted independently by SDU researchers and other institutions.

Both studies utilized data from over 400,000 Danish diabetes patients, with one study focusing on those treated with Ozempic and the other on those taking other diabetes medications. The second study involved data from more than 44,000 Danish patients who received Ozempic between 2018 and 2024 and nearly 17,000 Norwegian patients who took the drug between 2018 and 2022.

The Harvard University study earlier this year suggested a link, which has now been confirmed by two studies posted on medRxiv before they underwent external review.

The authors of the first SDU study stated that the absolute risk of the condition among semaglutide users is low. They also mentioned that if the risk remains constant over time, a diabetes patient taking Ozempic for 20 years would have a 0.3% to 0.5% chance of developing NAION.

The authors of the first study stated that while their findings do not definitively rule out the possibility of an increased risk of NAION when using semaglutide for obesity, the low number of observed events suggests that any potential risk is likely of limited absolute magnitude.

To further investigate whether Wegovy users, who take semaglutide for obesity, have an increased risk of the condition, additional analyses that are differently designed are required.

Analysts are less concerned about the risk of NAION and its potential to reduce prescriptions of Ozempic.

If semaglutide is not found to be unique among GLP-1s in harboring this risk, prescribing it is not likely to be affected, according to TD Cowen analyst Michael Nedelcovych in a research note on Monday.

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According to a Doximity report, nearly 80% of doctors are utilizing telemedicine on a weekly basis.

According to a report from Doximity, 83% of physicians would like telemedicine to remain a permanent part of their clinical practice.

Doximity is a digital platform for medical professionals that resembles LinkedIn for doctors. However, the platform offers more than just networking and news reading. It also provides telemedicine tools such as voice calls and video calls.

On Tuesday, Doximity released a report detailing the current state of telemedicine in the U.S. and its significance in healthcare delivery. The report was based on a survey conducted in August involving 1,171 physician telemedicine users and 131 nurse practitioner telemedicine users.

Over 77% of surveyed doctors and nearly 90% of nurse practitioners use telehealth and telemedicine weekly, with 35% of doctors and 52% of nurse practitioners incorporating the technology into their daily clinical practice.

Doximity stated that the growing role of telemedicine in modern healthcare is supported by strong physician backing, with the potential to revolutionize care delivery for the future.

Physicians reported that telehealth had improved patient outcomes in their practices, with neurologists, endocrinologists, and rheumatologists being the most affected. Doximity found that endocrinologists, urologists, gastroenterologists, rheumatologists, and neurologists were the top adopters of the technology.

In clinical practice, telemedicine is most commonly used for follow-up visits, with 84% of doctors stating that they will use the technology for these appointments. Additionally, 60% of physicians use telehealth for medication management, 57% for discussing lab reports or test results with patients, and 52% for helping patients manage chronic disease.

The percentage of doctors who reported that telemedicine had improved patients' adherence to treatment plans has increased to 50%, from 37% the previous year.

Two-thirds of physicians said the technology has helped them better treat their patients, while nearly one-third said it has helped them serve more patients per day.

Read the full report from Doximity here.

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