NICE recommends Ozurdex for pseudophakic patients with DME

The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued guidance recommending the use of Ozurdex for a particular group of patients with diabetic macular edema, Allergan announced in a press release.

The NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance recommended Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7 mg, Allergan) for people with visual impairment due to DME who have an artificial lens and are considered insufficiently responsive to or unsuitable for non-corticosteroid therapy. Within 3 months, Ozurdex will be made available by the NHS.

“Not only is Ozurdex a valuable treatment option for patients who are facing loss of sight, it also has the added benefit of helping to reduce the number of injections and clinic visits that these patients have to manage,” Ian Pearce, FRCOphth, a consultant ophthalmologist at St Paul’s Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, said in the release. “When we consider that these patients also have the burden of additional health problems, this can have a considerable impact on their quality of life and that of their carers. Over time, I also look forward to seeing this decision extended to include patients who still have their natural lens who have not responded to or are unsuitable for non-corticosteroid therapy.”

Disclosure: Pearce reports he is a consultant to Allergan.