Lucentis now approved in Europe for treating CNV

The pharmaceutical company, Novartis, announced that their eye drug, Lucentis, has been approved by the European Commission to treat choroidal neovascularization (CNV). CNV is a major cause of vision loss around the world affecting up to 3 percent of the population and the majority of those affected are 50 years old and younger. The treatment protocol for CNV involves a single injection with any additional injections being based on the individual patient's vision and anatomical changes. Monthly monitoring of the patient is required for the first two months and then quarterly follow-ups for up to one year. Clinical trials demonstrated that patients gained an average of 14 letters in visual acuity in the first year with a median of 2 injections and over 60 percent of the patients did not require additional injections after 6 months. More than 70 percent of those involved in the clinical trial noted a reduction in CNV leakage and intraretinal edema.