NICE makes preliminary recommendation on Allergan's Ozurdex for macular edema

The UK’s National Institutes of Health and Care Excellence has recommended Ozurdex (dexamethasone), produced by Allergan (NYSE: AGN), to treat diabetic macular edema.

The preliminary recommendations put Ozurdex forward as a treatment option in people only where the implant is to be used in an eye with an intraocular lens and their diabetic macular edema does not respond to non-corticosteroid treatment, or such treatment is unsuitable for them.

The dexamethasone intravitreal implant is injected into the eye once every six months, and works by suppressing inflammation and preventing edema forming in the eye. It reduces plasma leakage from blood vessels and inhibits the release of inflammatory compounds that cause damage to the eye.