Ranibizumab (Cont.)

Effects of Ranibizumab

Several studies have evaluated ranibizumab as a wet macular degeneration treatment. Some studies compared ranibizumab injections to "placebo" injections (injection without any active ingredient) or to a certain type of photodynamic therapy (PDT) commonly used to treat the condition.
 
Studies showed that ranibizumab was significantly more effective than placebo injections or PDT. In fact, up to 40 percent of those receiving injections for a year had significant vision improvement (compared to just 5 percent for the placebo and 6 percent for PDT).
 

When and How to Take Ranibizumab

General considerations for when and how to take ranibizumab include the following:
 
  • The medication is injected into the eye on a monthly basis 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.
     
  • You should have someone drive you home after your ranibizumab injection, as your eye(s) will be dilated during the procedure (which temporarily affects your vision).
     
  • For the medication to work properly, it must be used as prescribed. Ranibizumab will not work if you stop taking it.
     

Dosing Information for Ranibizumab

The dose of ranibizumab that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • How you respond to ranibizumab
  • Other medications you may be taking
  • Other medical conditions you may have.
     
As is always the case, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 
(Click Ranibizumab Dosing for more information.)
 
(Ranibizumab Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;