Lucentis gets FDA approval as treatment for vision loss caused by blocked retinal veins

Genentech says Lucentis gets added FDA approval

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the eye drug Lucentis as a treatment for vision loss caused by blocked veins in the retina, Genentech said Wednesday.

Genentech, a part of the Swiss drugmaker Roche Group, said the FDA approved Lucentis as a treatment for macular edema, or swelling of the central part of the retina, because of blockage in a retinal vein.

Lucentis was approved in 2006 as a treatment for neurovascular, or “wet,” age-related macular degeneration, one of the most common causes of blindness.

Genentech said retinal vein blockages affect more than 1 million people a year in the U.S., and usually strike people over 50. It can cause swelling and bleeding, and sudden blurring or vision loss.

Lucentis is sold by Genentech, but it was developed by PDL BioPharma Inc., which gets royalty payments on sales.

(This version CORRECTS the year of first approval for Lucentis.)