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Pegaptanib Dosing
Pegaptanib dosing guidelines take several factors into account, including how you respond to the drug, any existing conditions you may have, and other medications you may be taking. Generally, the recommended dose is 0.3 mg, injected into the affected eye every six weeks. After each pegaptanib dose, your healthcare provider will observe you for awhile to see how you respond to the drug.
from eMedTV.comThe dose of pegaptanib sodium (Macugen®) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How you respond to pegaptanib
- Other medications you may be taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your pegaptanib dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
Pegaptanib Dosing for Macular Degeneration
The recommended dose of pegaptanib for age-related wet macular degeneration is 0.3 mg, injected into the eye every six weeks. If only one of your eyes has the disease, you will receive a dose just in that eye. If both your eyes are affected, you will receive a dose in each eye. In studies, people who received pegaptanib injections once a month had more vision improvement, compared to people who received injections less often. However, there may be certain situations in which your healthcare provider recommends using pegaptanib less frequently than every six weeks.Considerations for people taking pegaptanib include the following:
- Pegaptanib is injected into the eye every six weeks by your healthcare provider.
- Your eye(s) will be cleansed to prevent infection and numbed before the injection. While you should feel no pain, you may feel a little pressure.
- After each injection, your healthcare provider will observe you for awhile to make sure you do not develop any serious side effects of pegaptanib.
- You may receive a prescription for antibiotic eyedrops to use after each injection.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be used as prescribed. Pegaptanib will not work if you stop taking it.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD