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‘Boom, lights out’: Massachusetts man shares sudden blindness journey after taking GLP-1
boston25news.com • • business
Key Points:
- Ed Gillen, a Dedham resident and longtime state highway worker, experienced sudden, permanent vision loss after taking a GLP-1 medication for about a year to manage his A1C levels.
- In May 2025, Gillen was diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, a condition causing irreversible blindness, which he and his neuro-ophthalmologist linked to the GLP-1 drug Ozempic.
- Gillen was not warned about the risk of permanent vision loss when prescribed the medication and now seeks to raise awareness through participation in a consolidated federal lawsuit against Novo Nordisk.
- The lawsuit alleges Novo Nordisk failed to adequately warn about the risk of severe optic nerve damage and blindness, while the company maintains its internal studies show no increased risk of vision loss.
- Following his blindness, Gillen left his job and learned adaptive skills at the Carroll Center for the Blind, emphasizing the importance of support from family and friends during his transition.
