OZURDEX® (dexamethasone intravitreal implant) 0.7 mg is a biodegradable implant injected into the eye (vitreous) to treat adults with macular edema following branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) or central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and to treat adults with noninfectious uveitis affecting the back segment of the eye.
The OZURDEX® implant is so tiny that it can be injected into the eye (vitreous) with a procedure in your doctor’s office. Each implant is already inside a special applicator device that is needed to perform the insertion. The implant will be injected into the vitreous humor inside your eye. This is known as an intravitreal injection.
Inside the eye, the implant is slowly dissolved by the vitreous gel that fills the eye, releasing medicine to reduce the swelling or inflammation. As the level of medication decreases over time, swelling or inflammation may affect your vision again. If this occurs, your doctor may recommend another OZURDEX® injection.
In 2 clinical studies, 427 patients were treated with OZURDEX® and 426 patients received sham (simulated) injections.
- About 20% to 30% of those who received OZURDEX® (40 of 201 patients and 67 of 226 patients) gained 3 or more lines of vision on the eye chart within 1 to 2 months–compared with 7% to 12% of patients who received sham (simulated) injections (15 of 202 patients and 27 of 224 patients)
- Once vision had improved, the improvement lasted 1 to 3 months
It’s important to remember that each case of retinal vein occlusion is unique. Your own results may vary.
OZURDEX® intravitreal implant has been proven effective for noninfectious uveitis affecting the back segment of the eye in a clinical trial. OZURDEX® helps treat the inflammation causing vitreous haze that is affecting your vision. In a clinical study, 77 patients were treated with OZURDEX® and 76 patients received sham (simulated) injections.
- 47% of those who received OZURDEX® (36 patients) achieved a vitreous haze score of zero (where a score of zero means no inflammation) at week 8–compared with 12% of those who received sham injections (9 patients)
- Also, at week 8, 43% of OZURDEX® patients (33 patients) gained 3 or more lines of vision on the eye chart, compared with 7% of sham-treated patients (5 patients)
It’s important to remember that each case of noninfectious uveitis affecting the back segment of the eye is unique. Your own results may vary.
Ozurdex was approved for treatment of diabetic macular edema in late 2014. Ozurdex is administered as an intravitreal injection.