Monthly monitoring no longer required for ranibizumab

Monthly monitoring is no longer required for patients taking ranibizumab (Lucentis, Novartis) for a condition that is stable, due to a change in the drug's licence.

The change comes in the wake of evidence that treatment requirements vary from patient to patient. The drug is approved for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion, visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema, and visual impairment due to choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia.

"We are pleased to be providing this new personalized approach across [ranibizumab's] four licensed indications and believe it is the right approach for both patients and clinicians," said Frederic Guerard, managing director, UK and Ireland, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd.