Allergan’s Ozurdex (dexamethasone) eye implant to treat macular oedema has been approved for use by the UK’s NHS in draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
The implant is approved in patients with macular oedema following central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) or following branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) when treatment with laser photocoagulation has not been beneficial or is not suitable.
RVO is the blockage of a blood vessel in the retina so blood cannot drain out. This can lead to damage of an individual’s eyesight.
Ozurdex works by suppressing inflammation in the eye, and is injected every six months.
Final guidance is due to be published in July 2011, with registered stakeholders able to appeal against the draft recommendations.
The announcement follows the news that Novartis’ wet age-related macular degeneration treatment Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) has been approved for a new indication of vision loss due to macular oedema following RVO by the European Commission.
Ozurdex was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2010 as the first treatment authorised in Europe for the treatment for its current indication.