New sight loss drug made available to thousands on the NHS

A new sight loss drug is to be made available to thousands of people on the NHS a week after it was approved by the medicines regulator.

Faricimab (Vabysmo) is an eye injection made by Roche which works to improve vision – or cut vision loss – in people with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) or diabetic macular oedema (DMO).

Experts say the jab can be given less frequently to some patients than other available medicines.

Data suggests some people can now wait up to 16 weeks between doses, compared with eight weeks for one current treatment, aflibercept.

After approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), faricimab has been given the green light by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for use on the NHS.

Nice said up to 300,000 people in England with AMD could be eligible for it, together with 28,000 people with DMO.