Pegaptanib and ranibizumab for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration

Ranibizumab is recommended as a possible treatment for people with wet AMD if all the following apply to their eye:

• The best possible visual acuity after correction with glasses or contact lenses is between 6/12 and 6/96.
• There is no permanent damage to the fovea (the part of the eye that helps people to see things in sharp detail).
• The area affected by AMD is no larger than 12 times the size of the area inside the eye where the optic nerve connects to the retina.
• There are signs that the condition has been getting worse.

Treatment should be stopped if a person's vision gets worse and there are changes inside the eye which show that treatment isn't working.

The NHS should cover the drug cost of ranibizumab for the first 14 injections in each eye being treated. If people need more than 14 injections per eye, the manufacturer of ranibizumab has agreed to take over the drug cost from the NHS.

Pegaptanib is not recommended for people with wet AMD. Healthcare professionals should not immediately stop prescribing pegaptanib for people who were already taking it when the guidance was issued. These people should be able to carry on taking pegaptanib until they and their healthcare professionals decide that it is the right time to stop treatment.

• Other information

  • TA155 Macular degeneration (age-related) - ranibizumab and pegaptanib: guidance (web format)

  How this guidance was produced

  Background information

  • Review update - October 2011
  • NICE issues final guidance on the use of ranibizumab and pegaptanib for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Guidance formats

• Web format
• Quick reference guide (PDF)
• Full Guidance (PDF)
• Patient version
• TA155 Ranibizumab a pegaptanib ar gyfer dirywiad macwlaidd gwlyb sy'n gysylltiedig ag oedran: deall canllawiau NICE (fformat MS Word)

Macular degeneration (age-related) - ranibizumab and pegaptanib

Guideline for patients and carers (PDF)