The federal government has announced that Vabysmo™ (Faricimab) had been funded on the Pharamaceutical Benefits scheme from January 1st 2023 for the treatment of Wet macular degeneration and Diabetic Macular Oedema.
Faricimab is a new treatment that has the potential to reduce the frequency of intravitreal injections for patients with both of these diseases.
Drug treatments for wet macular degeneration typically target the bodies chemical signalling pathways that promote new blood vessel development (angiogenesis). Previous treatments have primarily targeted VEGF A to achieve this.
Faricimab also targets VEGF A, in a similar way to Lucentis™ and Eylea™ (is principle competitors) but adds blockage of the Ang 2 system. Phase III trial showed ‘non inferiority’ of this treatment with a significantly reduced frequency of injections.
For many patients this may mean less frequent injections saving time and money and meaning less visits to their eye doctor.
Talk to your ophthalmologist to see whether Vabysmo™ might be a beneficial change to your treatment.
