The FDA just approved ranibizumab (Lucentis) as an ocular implant to be refilled every 6 months for people with wet macular degeneration, based upon the successful Archway study run under the FDA umbrella.
This is huge news, because normally retinal specialists' offices are filled to the brim with patients who are getting monthly or bi-monthly injections of Lucentis, Avastin, Eyelea and more. The new FDA approved refillable implant would allow people to get the same effective anti-VEGF medication (assuming they showed a response to the two standard initial injections) every six months.
The new implant is known as Susvimo, and it is manufactured by Genentech. More information is available in the Susvimo press release. People who are getting frequent injections of anti-VEGF medication are advised to consult with their retinal specialist at their next visit to discuss whether this is advisable for them, and if so, when it will be available.
