2007/031 NICE issues draft guidance on drugs for the treatment of age related macular degeneration

Draft guidance from NICE on the use of ranibizumab (Lucentis) and pegaptanib (Macugen) has been issued for public consultation today (14 June 2007). The guidance recommends the use of Lucentis for about 20% of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, a condition which causes sight loss and blindness. The draft guidance recommends Lucentis for people with predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) wet age-related macular degeneration. It recommends Lucentis should be used when both eyes are affected, and that it should be used in the better-seeing eye. The guidance does not recommend the use of Macugen.