Clara Eaglen, Eye Health Policy and Campaigns manager at RNIB, said:
"We are pleased that NICE has published its final guidance recommending Lucentis for use in treating some patients with Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) as this is something RNIB, along with a number of other charities, has been calling for since last year's initial decision not to make the treatment available.
"We believe NICE has thrown a lifeline to the growing number of people with diabetes facing blindness. DMO is a serious eye condition which can lead to sight loss as a result of fluid leaking from the small blood vessels in the eye.
"Currently people are needlessly losing their sight from DMO. RNIB's Save our Sight (SOS) campaign is calling for everyone with a sight-threatening condition to gain early access to treatments that will delay or halt sight loss. This new recommendation by NICE may help to reduce the amount of avoidable sight loss from DMO, which is set to increase as the number of people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise.
"Overall the decision is a step in the right direction and a decision that we hope will eventually be extended to reach all patients with DMO."
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Notes to editors
For media enquiries, please contact Lucy Stanyer in RNIB's Public Relations Team on 0207 391 3291 or 0207 391 2223.
Background
Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) is a serious eye condition which can lead to sight loss as a result of fluid leaking from the small blood vessels in the eye. The build-up of fluid causes swelling and thickening at the macula (the centre of the eye), reducing vision.
NICE announced its original decision not to recommend Lucentis as a treatment for people with DMO on the NHS in July 2011 on the basis of cost-effectiveness. Charities including RNIB appealed this decision and although this appeal was rejected, they continued to call for the manufacturer of Lucentis, Novartis, to rapidly agree a Patient Access Scheme with the Department of Health and NICE in order to reduce the cost of this treatment to the NHS and ensure the maximum number of people with DMO can benefit from the treatment without delay.
In the final guidance NICE has recommended ranibizumab (Lucentis, Novartis) as an option for treating visual impairment caused by DMO. The guidance recommends ranibizumab as an option for treating diabetic macular oedema only if people have a central retinal thickness of 400 micrometres or more.
About RNIB
Everyday around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are around 2 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
About RNIB's 'Save our Sight' Campaign
Over 50 per cent of sight loss is avoidable. You or someone you love could lose your sight. Those of us lucky enough to live beyond the age of 90 will face a 1 in 2 chance of losing our sight. With a population growing in age and obesity, RNIB's new 'Save our Sight' (SOS) campaign will work to tackle the timebomb of avoidable sight loss in the UK.
Having an eye examination at least once every two years should be part of everyone's health care routine as many causes of sight loss are preventable if they are caught early.