The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended Ozurdex for the treatment of macular oedema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) according to manufacturer Allergan.
The pharmaceutical company added that NICE had also recommended the drug, which is applied as an intravitreal implant, for the treatment of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) where laser photocoagulation is neither beneficial nor appropriate. Allergan stated that up to 25,000 patients in the UK every year suffer from macular oedema associated with RVO and may be suitable for treatment with Ozurdex.
The drug is a biodegradable intravitreal implant containing dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, administered via a single use applicator. Dexamethasone acts locally to control oedema, reduce inflammation around the occlusion and improve vision. Allergan reported that a single injection had been shown to offer benefits for up to six months.
Douglas Ingram, executive vice president of Allergan, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said the decision was the first NICE recommendation for a licensed treatment for macular oedema associated with RVO and it was an important treatment for this potentially devastating condition.
The approval came as Novartis announced that Lucentis, an anti-VEGF drug used to treat wet AMD, was now licensed as a treatment for macular oedema as a result of RVO. The company said this UK approval largely resulted from data from the BRAVO and CRUISE studies, both of which showed better visual outcome with Lucentis intraocular injections of oedematous vein occlusion patients when compared with laser treatment.