– EYLEA\u00ae (aflibercept) approved in Australia for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema
\n(DME) in adults1
\n– Cootamundra has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country with 7.6% of people
\nreported to be living with diabetes2
\n– Australian research found more than 22% of study participants (49 years plus) with
\ndiabetes developed diabetic eye disease (diabetic retinopathy) within five years<\/p>\n
Bayer Australia Ltd today announced the approval by the Therapeutic Goods
\nAdministration (TGA) of EYLEA (aflibercept) for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DME)
\nin adults.<\/p>\n
DME may develop from an eye condition called diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is a complication\u00a0of type 1 and type 2 diabetes4,5 and has been identified to be one of the leading causes of\u00a0permanent vision loss in working-age people with diabetes.<\/p>\n
While there is limited data showing current numbers of people suffering from DME, estimates have\u00a0been calculated from published data (British Journal of Ophthalmology 2000) and ABS 2012 data\u00a0suggest that approximately more than 45,000 Australians over 35 years of age may have DME.<\/p>\n
The number of people with diabetic eye disease, including DME, may be even higher as Australian\u00a0prevalence studies have found that there are further undiagnosed people in the population.<\/p>\n
Retinal ophthalmologist, Dr Andrew Chang said diabetic patients are at risk of developing some
\nform of eye disease including diabetic retinopathy. \u201cIt is the most common cause of blindness for\u00a0working-age Australians aged 30-69 years. For these patients, regaining central vision will have\u00a0broad and real implications to their lives.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt may mean keeping their job and supporting themselves and their families, holding a driver\u2019s\u00a0licence and being able to read, watch TV and recognise faces,\u201d Dr Chang said.<\/p>\n
The underlying cause of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema is damage (caused by\u00a0abnormal blood glucose levels) to the blood vessels feeding the retina (the lining of light-sensitive\u00a0cells along the back of the eye). DME occurs when blood vessel leakage affects the macula, the\u00a0centre of the retina that facilitates pinpoint vision that allows us to read and recognise faces.<\/p>\n
Symptoms of DME can include blurred or double vision, the appearance of blind or dark spots,
\ncolours appearing washed-out, distorted lines and, if DME is left untreated, it can eventually lead to\u00a0severe vision loss and blindness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe approval of EYLEA for those living with DME provides treating doctors with another tool to
\ncombat vision loss in their patients which is so important in supporting our aim of helping these
\nAustralians maintain their independence\u201d, said Dr Chang.<\/p>\n
EYLEA works by blocking the triggers (known as VEGF receptors) believed to be involved in the
\ngrowth of these abnormal, leaky blood vessels in the retina. Treatment involves one injection per\u00a0month for the first five consecutive months, followed by one injection every two months. After the\u00a0first 12 months, the treatment interval may be extended based on visual and anatomic outcomes.<\/p>\n
“It is important that Australians with diabetes who are concerned about their sight or have suspected\u00a0DME discuss the appropriate testing and treatment approach with their ophthalmologist,” Dr Chang\u00a0added.<\/p>\n
Following the approval by the TGA, Bayer is working with the Government to secure timely
\nreimbursement and listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) for EYLEA in DME.
\nIn addition to the Australian registration, EYLEA is also approved for treatment of DME in the US,\u00a0Canada, EU and Japan.<\/p>\n
TGA approved indications<\/p>\n
EYLEA (aflibercept) is indicated in adults for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular\u00a0degeneration (wet AMD), visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to central retinal\u00a0vein occlusion (CRVO) and diabetic macular oedema (DME).<\/p>\n
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)<\/p>\n
For further information about EYLEA please speak with a healthcare professional and access the\u00a0full Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) available at:\u00a0http:\/\/bayer.com.au\/scripts\/pages\/en\/bayerrsquos_products\/index.php aktion=details&id=642&l1=
\n&l2=<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
– EYLEA\u00ae (aflibercept) approved in Australia for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DME) in adults1 – Cootamundra has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country with 7.6% of people reported to be living with diabetes2 – Australian research found more than 22% of study participants (49 years plus) with diabetes developed … Continue reading “Treatment approved for one of the leading causes of blindness in people with diabetes”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hume","category-radio16","category-tcrn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.onradio.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}