New study shows diabetic retinopathy regression in high risk patients treated with Lucentis

A new study published in Ophthalmology Retina evaluated diabetic retinopathy (DR) outcomes with Lucentis (ranibizumab) treatment in patients with DR and diabetic macular edema (DME) at high risk of progression to proliferative disease.

Lucentis, a blockbuster ophthalmic drug, is marketed by Roche (ROG: SIX) subsidiary Genentech in the USA and by fellow Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) in the rest of the world.

The results are significant as they highlight the importance of considering earlier treatment with anti-anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for patients with DR before the patients develop vision-threatening complications characteristic of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) stage of disease. Lucentis is the only anti-VEGF therapy approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat all forms of DR.