Lucentis Approved for Diabetic...

Lucentis Approved for Diabetic Macular Edema

FRIDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetic macular edema (DME), an eye condition that could threaten a diabetic person's sight, the agency said Friday in a news release.

The condition occurs when fluid leaks into the macula, the center of the eye's retina. This leads to macular swelling, causing blurred vision.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among people aged 20 to 74, the FDA said, citing statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Commonly reported side effects of Lucentis include bleeding of the eye's conjunctiva tissue, eye pain, floaters and increased pressure inside the eye.

Lucentis, marketed by San Francisco-based Genentech, was approved previously for wet age-related macular degeneration, and another form of macular edema.

More information

The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about diabetic eye disease.