US FDA Announces approval of Lucentis (Ranibizumab)

June 30, 2006 (Toronto) US FDA Announces approval of Lucentis (Ranibizumab). AMD Alliance International (AMDAI) today loudly applauded the (USA) Food and Drug Administration approval of Lucentis (ranibizumab), a ground breaking treatment for wet age related macular degeneration. This approval is based on the evidence presented from several years of rigorous clinical trials, in which Lucentis was shown to maintain vision in 95% of trial participants, and improve vision in approximately 30 to 40% of trial participants. This decision means that treatment with Lucentis will now be widely available in the USA through retinal specialists. AMD Alliance International applauds the introduction of new treatments, which bring hope and help to those with macular degeneration. The FDA approval is of course only relevant for the USA. Introduction of Lucentis in other countries is expected to follow in the coming year. For more detailed information on all treatments, click here

At the same time that the FDA announced approval of Lucentis, the treatment manufacturer, Genentech, announced details about accessing the treatment. According to media releases from Genentech, questions related to access to Lucentis can be answered through the Lucentis Commitment hotline at 1-866-724-9394 or at www.lucentis.com Lucentis now joins photo-dynamic therapy (Visudyne) and pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) in the arsenal of treatments for wet macular degeneration. In addition to the AMD Alliance International web resources on treatment (referenced above), treatment and treatment access information can also be obtained directly from the companies. For company-issued information about photo-dynamic therapy (Visudyne), visit www.visudyne.com or call 1-888-NOW-NOVA (1-866-393-6336) For more information about pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) , company-issued information can be viewed at www.macugen.com or call the Macugen Access Program at 1-866-272-8838. A reminder that these websites contain information direct from the manufacturer, and as such are not reviewed nor warranted by AMDAI. For information that is issued by AMD Alliance International, please click here.

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