WebMD (08/14/12) Warner, Jennifer
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Lucentis, a drug marketed in the U.S. by Genentech for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. The FDA's decision to approve Lucentis, which is administered in an injection once per month by a healthcare professional, was based on the results of clinical trials that showed that a significant number of people who were treated with the drug experienced improved vision. Between 34 percent and 45 percent of those who were given 0.3 mg of Lucentis per month gained three or more lines of vision on an eye chart, compared with between 12 percent and 18 percent of those who did not take the drug. According to Dr. Renata Albrecht of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the approval of Lucentis marks a major milestone in the treatment of people with macular edema.

Read the complete article