Quick Hit
After fast-tracking its approval process for the eyecare drug Lucentis a couple of months ago, the FDA announced the drug has received expanded approval for use in combatting diabetic retinopathy, a Healio article states.
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading eye problem for people with diabetes; the condition is characterized by damage to the blood vessels in the retina. It is often caused by diabetic macular edema, a condition by which fluid or protein deposits collect under the macula and cause swelling. Lucentis slows the growth of blood vessels in the eye, thus slowing the unhealthy buildup under the macula.
Considered the best drug therapy of its class by researchers, Lucentis now will be able to combat diabetic macular edema caused by that swelling. In a previous Insulin Nation article, we mentioned that the drug had been approved for treatment of a few other conditions, including non-diabetic retinopathy, but this new approval allows those with macular edema caused by diabetes to use the drug without getting an off-label prescription from their doctors.
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