Bayer HealthCare’s Eylea approved for retinal vein occlusion

Bayer HealthCare has announced that its drug Eylea has been approved in Europe for the treatment of visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

The new indication includes macular oedema following branch RVO, in addition to the previously-approved indication of macular oedema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion in adults.

Approval was based on positive results from the phase III Vibrant study, which demonstrated that the drug was able to deliver pronounced improvements in visual acuity for patients affected by the condition.

It could be an important new treatment option for RVO, a chronic disease that affects many people of working age and requires early intervention if the best possible vision is to be retained.

Dr Joerg Moeller, member of the Bayer HealthCare executive committee and head of global development, said: "This new therapeutic approach allows physicians to individualise therapy for each patient, maximising time between treatments. This reduces the treatment burden on patients, physicians and their clinics."

This comes after the drug was approved for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema last year.