Bayer AMD drug receives UK approval

Bayer has received authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for its aflibercept 8mg (Eylea 8mg) in adults.

The drug has been approved for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DMO).

Dr Joep Hufman, medical director at Bayer UK & Ireland, said: ‘After extensive research programmes, UK patients will be among the first in the world to have access to aflibercept 8mg, which has great potential to eliminate the need for thousands of clinical appointments every year.’

Bayer said approval was based on the results of its Pulsar and Photon studies, which compared aflibercept 8mg with a lower 2mg dose in patients with wet AMD and DMO, respectively.