For the treatment of patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a verteporfin PDT (Visudyne)-naive eye.
For the treatment of patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a verteporfin PDT (Visudyne)-naive eye. Initial diagnosis should be confirmed by an appropriate diagnostic procedure and administration should be done by a qualified ophthalmologist experienced in intravitreal injections. Patients receiving concurrent administration with another anti-VEGF agent are not eligible for reimbursement. Treatment should be initiated with a loading phase of one injection per month for three consecutive months, followed by a maintenance phase. During the maintenance phase, patients should be monitored for best corrected visual acuity or continued disease activity. If there is clinical or diagnostic evidence of disease activity such as a loss of greater than 5 letters in visual acuity (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Score (ETDRS) chart or one Snellen line equivalent), ranibizumab may be administered. The interval between two doses should not be shorter than one month. Treatment with anti-VEGF agents should only be continued in patients who maintain adequate response to therapy. For clarity, coverage will be provided for patients responding to therapy with another anti-VEGF agent who switch to this product. Coverage will NOT be provided for patients who have failed to respond to other anti-VEGF agents.