Federal GLP-1 lawsuits over Ozempic and others reassigned to Judge Karen Marston in June 2024
One judge now handles both the stomach-paralysis and vision-loss claims against GLP-1 drugmakers, which affects how consistently those cases move through pretrial proceedings.
In June 2024, the federal multidistrict litigation over GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs — MDL 3094 — was reassigned to Judge Karen S. Marston in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She has since presided over both the gastrointestinal injury docket and the later docket of NAION vision-loss claims [1]. The reassignment order itself has not been described in publicly reported coverage.
Multidistrict litigation, or MDL, groups individual lawsuits filed in courts around the country so they can go through pretrial proceedings together rather than separately. According to Drugwatch, the consolidated GLP-1 litigation covered 4,022 lawsuits as of September 2026 [1]. Most of the people who filed suit claim severe stomach side effects: gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), ileus (impaired bowel function) or intestinal obstruction [1]. The first stomach paralysis lawsuit was filed on Aug. 2, 2023 [1].
A newer group of cases claims the drugs caused non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, a form of optic nerve damage that can lead to permanent vision loss [1]. More than 200 such lawsuits have been filed in federal court, and the NAION cases were consolidated before the same judge already overseeing the gastroparesis litigation [1]. Separately, the New Jersey Supreme Court is allowing vision-loss cases to be grouped together in Novo Nordisk's home state [1]. Novo Nordisk makes Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, all of which contain semaglutide.
Plaintiffs in the litigation allege failure to warn of side effects, that manufacturers knew or should have known about the risks, and that the companies made false, misleading or incomplete representations of safety [1]. The drugs named in gastroparesis claims also include Wegovy (semaglutide), Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Rybelsus (semaglutide tablets), Saxenda (liraglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) [1].
On labeling, the timeline in the court record is specific. In September 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added an ileus warning to Ozempic [1]. In January 2025, the Ozempic label was updated to state that the drug is "not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis," but the label does not indicate that the drug itself may cause the condition [1]. The label does not mention NAION specifically, though it cautions that "vision changes" are a potential serious side effect and highlights concerns about diabetic retinopathy [1]. No global settlements have been announced as of September 2026 [1].
Why it matters for patients
Having one judge handle both dockets means pretrial rulings on evidence, expert witnesses and case scheduling can apply more consistently across the stomach-injury and vision-loss claims instead of developing separately in different courts [1]. Consolidation is generally described as making it easier for lawyers to coordinate, for courts to issue consistent rulings and for plaintiffs to negotiate [1].
It does not mean cases resolve quickly. No global settlement has been announced as of September 2026, and the first stomach paralysis lawsuit was filed more than three years earlier, on Aug. 2, 2023 [1]. There is no cure for NAION or gastroparesis, according to the litigation coverage, and plaintiffs are seeking compensation for loss of quality of life, past and future medical bills, and other damages [1].
For people currently taking a GLP-1 drug, the label changes described above are the part of this litigation that has already taken effect in prescribing information. Whether additional warnings will be added has not been announced.
What happens next
No trial dates, settlement deadlines or rulings on the NAION claims have been reported in this coverage [1]. Whether the NAION docket will remain before the same judge as the gastrointestinal cases or be handled differently later has not been reported [1]. Drugwatch's tracking page was last updated Sept. 10, 2026, and reported 4,022 total lawsuits at that point [1].
Sources
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