FDA Approves Lucentis for Diabetic Retinopathy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in people with diabetic macular edema (DME), according to the drug's manufacturer Genentech. DME impacts nearly 750,000 Americans, about 10 percent of people with DR. The FDA granted Lucentis Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Priority Review for this indication based on results from the RISE and RIDE Phase III clinical trials. For a few years, physicians have used the drug "off label" to treat DR. Read more.