Drug Reverses Diabetes-Related Vision Loss
Genentech: Long-Term Safety Unknown
The study results were published in the April 27 issue of Ophthalmology.
“These findings provide hope for a new treatment beyond laser for patients with diabetic macular edema, which may improve their chances of (maintaining) healthy vision,” says National Eye Institute (NEI) Clinical Director Frederick Ferris III, MD.
But a spokeswoman for Genentech tells WebMD the company has no plans to seek approval for Lucentis as a treatment for DME until its own phase III studies of the drug are complete.
Findings from two such studies are expected in the first half of 2011.
“While the results from this (newly published) study are very encouraging, we believe it is important to understand the long-term safety and efficacy of this drug and to study it in patients for longer than one year,” Nikki Levy of Genentech says.
It is also not clear if the company’s older and much cheaper biologic drug Avastin would be as effective as Lucentis for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, Ferris said. NEI is conducting a trial comparing Avastin to Lucentis in patients with age-related macular degeneration.
A dose of Lucentis costs about $2,000, compared to $50 to $200 for a dose of Avastin. Levy said the annual cost of Lucentis is about $15,500, assuming seven doses over the course of a year.
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
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