MDL 3094 reassigned to Judge Karen S. Marston

In June 2024, the multidistrict litigation known as MDL 3094 — which gathers federal product liability lawsuits over GLP-1 drugs — was reassigned to Judge Karen S. Marston. She has since presided over two separate dockets: one covering gastrointestinal injuries such as gastroparesis, ileus and intestinal obstruction, and a newer one covering vision loss from non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION ^[1].

The gastrointestinal docket is the older of the two. The first Ozempic stomach-paralysis lawsuit was filed on Aug. 2, 2023 ^[1]. Plaintiffs in that docket say Novo Nordisk knew or should have known its GLP-1 drugs could cause severe digestive injuries and failed to warn about them ^[1]. The FDA added a warning about ileus, a condition where the intestines stop working properly, to the Ozempic label in September 2023, and in January 2025 the label was updated again to say the drug is "not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis," though that language does not say the drug causes the condition ^[1].

The NAION docket is newer and has grown quickly. As of a September 2026 update, more than 200 federal lawsuits over vision loss had been consolidated before the same judge who handles the gastrointestinal cases ^[1]. Separately, the New Jersey Supreme Court has allowed NAION cases to be grouped together in state court in Novo Nordisk's home state ^[1]. The Ozempic label does not mention NAION by name, but it does warn that "vision changes" are a possible serious side effect and flags concerns about diabetic retinopathy ^[1].

Across both dockets, the total number of lawsuits tied to GLP-1 drugs had reached 4,022 as of September 2026 ^[1]. Drugs named in the gastrointestinal claims include Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Saxenda, Trulicity and Zepbound ^[1]. No global settlement has been reached in either docket as of that same date ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Having one judge oversee both the gastrointestinal and vision-loss dockets means rulings on evidence, expert testimony and other legal questions are more likely to be consistent across thousands of individual cases ^[1]. That consolidation can also make it easier for the two sides to eventually negotiate settlements, according to Drugwatch's analysis of the litigation ^[1].

For people currently taking or considering a GLP-1 drug, the practical takeaway is that these lawsuits are still working their way through the courts, not settled. No compensation has been paid out through a global settlement as of September 2026 ^[1]. The label changes so far — the 2023 ileus warning and the 2025 gastroparesis language — reflect updated safety information but do not by themselves establish that the drug caused any individual patient's injury ^[1]. There is no cure for gastroparesis or NAION, which is part of why plaintiffs in both dockets are seeking compensation for medical costs and loss of quality of life ^[1].

What happens next

The sources reviewed do not spell out a specific court calendar for bellwether trials or further rulings beyond noting that, as of September 2026, litigation in both dockets remains active and unsettled ^[1]. Additional detail on the assignment itself, including the court's specific reasoning, is not described in the available source and is not yet known.