Lucentis

Introduction
Lucentis is used for the treatment of eye diseases which are caused by diabetes, macular degeneration, and macular swelling. It reduces the abnormal growth and leakage of blood vessels in the eye that can cause vision loss. Lucentis is administered directly into the eyeball by an eye specialist. You should not self administer this medicine at home. The common side effects include eye pain, redness, blurred or decreased vision and eye discharge. However, if you experience these side effects for a longer duration or any other symptoms which you think may be due to this medicine, please inform your doctor. It is not advised to drive after administration of this injection as it may cause blurring of vision.

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Uses of Lucentis
Diabetic eye disease
Wet age-related macular degeneration
Macular oedema due to retinal vein occlusion
Side effects of Lucentis
Common
Conjunctival hemorrhage
Eye pain
Eye inflammation
Increased intraocular pressure
How to use Lucentis
Your doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. Kindly do not self administer.
How Lucentis works
Lucentis is an anti-angiogenic medication. It works by blocking a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This stops the growth and leakage of abnormal blood vessels in the eye(s) that may cause vision loss.
What if you forget to take Lucentis?
If you miss a dose of Lucentis, please consult your doctor.
Quick Tips
Lucentis is used for the treatment of eye diseases caused by diabetes, macular degeneration and macular swelling.
It is administered directly into the eyeball by an eye specialist.
It may cause temporary visual disturbances. Don’t drive or do anything that requires mental focus until you know how Lucentis affects you.
Inform your doctor if you experience increased eye pain and redness, blurred or decreased vision, or increased sensitivity to light.
Brief Description
Indication
Wet ARMD, Central retinal vein occlusion, Diabetic macular edema
Adult Dose
Intravitreal Neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration Adult: 0.5 mg (0.05 mL of 10 mg/mL) mthly into the affected eye as a single dose. Continue treatment until visual acuity is stable for 3 consecutive mth. Doses are given at intervals of at least 1 mth. Macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion Adult: 0.5 mg mthly into the affected eye as a single dose for 6 months. Doses are given at intervals of at least 1 mth. Diabetic Macular Edema, Diabetic Retinopathy with DME 0.3 mg (0.05 mL of 6 mg/mL) administer by intravitreal injection once a month (approximately every 28 days).

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Contraindication
Active or suspected ocular or periocular infection, active severe intraocular inflammation, signs of irreversible ischaemic visual function loss in patients w/ retinal vein occlusion.
Mode of Action
Humanized monoclonal antibody to VEGF-A, inhibits VEGF-A-induced ocular neovascularization.
Precaution
Patient w/ risk factors for retinal pigment epithelial tears, history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack, uncontrolled HTN, previous intravitreal inj, active systemic infections, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular oedema due to type 1 DM. Discontinue treatment if rhegmatogenous retinal detachment or stage 3 or 4 macular hole develops. Diabetic patients w/ glycosylated Hb over 12%. Lactation: Unknown if distributed in milk; use caution

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Side Effect
>10% Conjunctival hemorrhage (43-77%),Eye pain (17-37%),Vitreous floaters (3-32%),Incr IOP (8-24%),Vitreous detachment (7-22%),Eye irritation (4-19%),Intraocular inflammation (5-18%),Headache (2-15%),Upper resp tract infection (2-15%),Retinal disorder (13%),Blepharitis (3-13%),Retinal degeneration (1-11%) 1-10% Conjunctival hyperemia (9%),Posterior capsule opacification (8%),Injection site hemorrhage (5%),Vitreous hemorrhage (4%)

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Interaction
May enhance the adverse/toxic effect of belimumab. Serious intraocular inflammation may occur when used adjunctively w/ verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT).