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news.The European Commission has granted marketing approval for Pfizer's eye drug, Macugen, for the treatment of wet age related macular degeneration, a disease that causes severe vision loss.
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Macugen, co-developed by Pfizer and OSI Pharmaceuticals, is the first treatment to target the underlying disease process and has been proven to help preserve visual acuity in patients with wet age related macular degeneration (AMD). Clinical studies showed that Macugen prevented severe vision loss at twice the rate of standard care, which included photodynamic therapy.
“Macugen is the first therapy indicated in Europe for the treatment of all types of wet AMD, regardless of lesion subtype, size or visual acuity,” said Dr Joseph Feczko, Pfizer’s chief medical officer.
Wet AMD is a chronic, progressive disease of the macula, the central portion of the retina responsible for sight. Central vision is impaired when abnormal blood vessel growth beneath the macula, known as choroidal neovascularization, causes bleeding and other fluid accumulation in the retina.