The European Commission has approved Jetrea intravitreal injection (ocriplasmin) for the treatment of vitreomacular traction (VMT) and macular hole in the EU, Alcon has announced.
Jetrea will be available in the UK later this month, and a decision on the availability of the drug for UK NHS patients is expected later this year.
Adnan Tufail, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, said: “The licensing of Jetrea is an important development for patients and doctors, increasing the armoury of treatment options available to manage VMT, and reducing the need for clinic appointments and surgical interventions. I hope this will rapidly be approved by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) and the SMC (Scottish Medicines Consortium) for use in NHS patients in the UK.”
The decision to approve Jetrea in the EU follows research published in the New England Journal of Medicine which showed that patients treated with Jetrea achieved resolution of VMT and closure of a macular hole, compared to placebo, after 28 days.
Stuart Raetzman, area president at Alcon for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “The approval of Jetrea by the European Commission is a major breakthrough for people with VMT and eye care professionals who, until now, have only had surgical options available to treat this debilitating eye disease. Now they can intervene early with a one-time injection of Jetrea.”
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