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Thursday, 2 May 2013

New DME drug released in the UK



A drug developed to treat chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) was made available in the UK on Monday (April 29). Announced by biopharmaceutical company Alimera Sciences, Iluvien is the first sustained release pharmaceutical product to be designed for the treatment of the sight-threatening condition. 
 
Iluvien is administered as an implant and works for up to 36 months. Injected into the patient’s eye, it delivers sustained sub-microgram levels of fluocinolone acetonide (FAc).
 
Alimera Sciences has submitted a Patient Access Scheme (PAS) to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), with its Appraisal Committee expected to meet on May 15 to discuss the submission. A 30-day review period is likely to follow.
 
If accepted, Iluvien would be funded for NHS use with chronic DME patients in England and Wales.
 
Dan Myers, president and chief executive officer at Alimera Sciences, said: "We are pleased that Iluvien is now available in the UK. We continue to work with NICE and are hopeful that our simple PAS will make Iluvien available to a larger group of chronic DME patients in England and Wales, who are considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies."

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