Lucentis

Lucentis is used to treat macular eye problems such as macular degeneration and macular edema.

It works by decreasing the growth of certain cells in the eye. It prevents leaking of blood vessels and also prevents new blood vessel formation in the eye.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disorder of retina which can cause blurring of vision or blindness. Macular edema is a cause of blockage of retinal vein.

It may also treat diabetes-related eye problems. It is available in the form of a solution and is only administered by a doctor or health care professional.

Your doctor will inform you of what you need to know before using Lucentis.

Before starting the treatment your doctor should be informed about condition such as:

Allergy: Inform your doctor if you are allergic to any food, preservatives, dyes, or had an allergic reaction when you used this drug before.

Children: There are no adequate studies done which prove Ranibizumab has harmful effects in children. However, safety and efficacy have not been established.

Elderly: This medicine does not cause any different side effects or problem than it does in younger adults.

Pregnancy: It is a category C drug. It is not safe in pregnancy. It may cause harmful effects to an unborn baby.

Breast Feeding: there are no adequate studies which prove that Ranibizumab passes into breast milk. If you are using Ranibizumab while nursing, discuss it with your doctor for possible risk factors.

Drug Interactions: Ranibizumab may interact with other drugs. Your doctor should be informed of any other medicines which you are taking. He may want to change the dosage or drug.

Several other conditions may reduce its effectiveness.

Make sure you inform your doctor of conditions such as:

• Eye infection
• Infection around the eye: Should not be used in patients with these conditions
• Glaucoma

To use Lucentis properly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor.

It is given as an injection into your eye by a doctor or health care professional.

First, 4 injections are given once in a month. It then may be given once in 3 months.

Before using Lucentis, there are some precautions you must take.

Your doctor should check your daily progress at regular visits. Inform your doctor right away if you develop eye pain or redness, eye or eyelid swelling, sensitivity to light, or vision changes (decreased vision).

Do not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to Ranibizumab as it may cause vision changes in some patients. It increases risks of blood clotting.

Inform you doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms such as having pain in your chest, groin, or legs, especially the calves; difficulty with breathing; a severe, sudden headache; slurred speech; sudden, unexplained shortness of breath; sudden loss of coordination; sudden, severe weakness or numbness in your arm or leg or vision changes.

Make sure you meet with your doctor in using Lucentis to avoid unwanted potential side effects. All medicines have some side effects. Some people may experience none or minor side effects.

Consult with your doctor if they become problematic or frequent:

More common are:

• Cough
• Dry eye
• Eye discomfort
• Feeling of something in the eye.
• Headache
• Increased tear production
• Nausea
• Nose or throat irritation
• Seeing floaters or spots.

Less common are:

• Body aches or pain
• Chest pain
• Chills
• Cough
• Difficulty with breathing
• Dry mouth
• Fainting
• Fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat
• General feeling of discomfort or illness
• Head congestion

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.