The European Commission has approved the intravitreal eye injection Jetrea, produced by Novartis (NVS 0.57%) eye care subsidiary Alcon, for treating vitreomacular traction in the European Union. The disease, which can cause vision loss and is also known as VMT, affects an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 patients in Europe, according to a press release from Novartis on the approval.
Jetrea-treated patients showed significant improvements over a placebo in closing macular holes and resolving VMT during clinical trials that helped support European regulatory approval. The drug showed few side effects that ranged from mild to moderate severity, including from blurred vision to retinal edema.
Stuart Raetzman, Alcon's area president of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, commented on the approval in the release: "Jetrea meets a genuine unmet patient need and demonstrates Alcon's commitment to bringing innovative eye care treatments to people in Europe and throughout the world."
