Blind from weight loss injections? Robbie Williams’ concerns are justified?

The tabloid media is full of reports about celebrities who have succeeded in losing weight with weight loss injections. But British musician Robbie Williams has now expressed concern: injections of the weight-loss drug Moujaro have worsened his eyesight.

“I want to warn the public about these potential risks so they can do their own research,” Williams said. Sometimes he could no longer recognize fans in the audience during performances. Are these concerns justified and what is the current state of science?

The weight loss injections currently available on the market were originally designed as preparations against the metabolic disease type 2 diabetes. They contain active ingredients such as semaglutide (product name Wegovy), tirzepatide (product name Mounjaro) or liraglutide (product name Saxenda).

These messenger substances mimic the body’s own hormones, stimulating the release of insulin in the body and increasing the feeling of fullness. Different active ingredients work in the same way, but some of them bind to different receptors.

The result is weight loss, which usually lasts only during continuous use of the drug.

The high cost of treatment is seen as critical. However, most experts see this treatment as an important breakthrough in treating morbid obesity and its associated complications.

In general, decreased vision is a common consequence of diabetes. The reason is, increasing blood sugar levels can affect the blood vessels in the retina. Therefore, diabetes sufferers must have regular check-ups with an eye doctor.

This is incurable one-sided blindness. Another study in April 2025 confirmed the link, but stated the risk was lower with 14.5 documented cases per 100,000 users. It is not yet clear how semaglutide can trigger the disease in rare cases.

Musician Williams indicated in interviews that he uses Moujaro products. There is currently no mention of Naion’s risks in its package insert.

Compared with semaglutide, fewer studies have been published on tirzepatide and the EMA regulatory authority only discussed semaglutide at its meeting in June. However there are also recent publications about tirzepatide that indicate a possible risk of Naion.

Manufacturer Lilly writes on its website:

The rapid spread of weight loss injections means that new medical findings regularly emerge that could not previously be identified in large approved studies.

This is common with new medications – especially because, according to current research, Naion eye disease is a serious but also very rare side effect. The regulatory authorities currently see no reason to remove the product from the market.

Some manufacturers have responded to the research and adjusted the information accordingly. Further investigations should clarify what exactly triggers the disease and which active ingredients are affected and how severely.

Whether, in the particular case of Robbie Williams, weight loss injections were actually responsible for his poor eyesight cannot be judged from the outside. Williams is right that patients should find out more about their treatment from their doctors.