Overview

NICE recommends ranibizumab as a possible treatment for some people who have sight problems because of macular oedema caused by retinal vein occlusion (see below).

Who can have ranibizumab?

You should be able to have ranibizumab if:

  • you have central retinal vein occlusion or
  • you have branch retinal vein occlusion and you have had laser treatment (grid laser photocoagulation) that hasn’t worked or it is not suitable for you because of the amount of bleeding in your eye.

Why has NICE said this?

NICE looks at how well treatments work, and also at how well they work in relation to how much they cost the NHS. NICE recommended ranibizumab when grid laser photocoagulation hasn’t worked or is not suitable because it works better than other treatments available on the NHS, and the benefit to patients justifies the cost.

Your responsibility

The recommendations in this guidance represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, health professionals are expected to take this guidance fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients. The application of the recommendations in this guidance is at the discretion of health professionals and their individual patients and do not override the responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or their carer or guardian.

All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.

Commissioners and/or providers have a responsibility to provide the funding required to enable the guidance to be applied when individual health professionals and their patients wish to use it, in accordance with the NHS Constitution. They should do so in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities.

Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)