NICE backs Bayer’s Eylea as first-line BRVO treatment

Bayer's Eylea (aflibercept) has been recommended for use on the NHS in England and Wales as a first-line treatment for adults with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

NICE approved the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment as an alternative to laser photocoagulation, the current first-line treatment for the NHS.

Clinical data showed Eylea to achieve superior improvements in vision, with greater efficacy when administered before the laser treatment.

Bayer UK and Ireland's chief executive Dr Alexander Moscho said: “We are pleased that NICE has finalised its positive decision for Eylea for the treatment of visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to BRVO.

“This treatment continues to achieve positive results in real-life clinical practice, similar to that demonstrated in clinical trials, and we hope that this will continue for patients with macular oedema secondary to BRVO.”

BRVO, one of the two main types of retinal vein occlusion, is caused by blood clots in a branch of the main vein in the retina, leading to blood and fluid leakages beneath the macular oedema. If left untreated, BRVO can significantly impact a person's vision.

Within the next three months over 13,000 NHS patients suffering from BRVO will have access to Eylea as a first-line treatment across England and Wales.

The recommendation adds to Eylea's growing list of NICE approvals, with the injected solution already backed for use as a treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), diabetic macular oedema (DMO), and myopic choroidal neovascularisation (mCNV).

Eylea's strong financial performance to date - it brought in €250m in the first quarter of 2015 - will only be boosted by this latest recommendation, enabling it to better compete with its rivals in macular oedema Roche's Avastin and Novartis' Lucentis.