Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Bayer HealthCare's Eylea (aflibercept, solution for intravitreal injection) for the treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).
In Europe, the US, Japan, Australia and in many other countries, VEGF Trap-Eye has been approved under the brand name Eylea to treat patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).
The company said that Eylea has also been approved in Europe for treating visual impairment due to macular edema secondary to CRVO, as well as in the US and in selected Asian and Latin American countries to treat macular edema following CRVO.
Bayer HealthCare member of the Executive Committee and head of Global Development Kemal Malik said, "The additional approval of EYLEA in Japan for the treatment of macular edema secondary to CRVO is great news for patients in Japan suffering from this potentially sight-threatening eye condition."
Bayer and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals are collaborating on the global development of Eylea, with Regeneron maintaining exclusive rights to Eylea in the US and Bayer having exclusive marketing rights outside the US, where the companies share the profits equally from its sales, except for Japan where Regeneron receives a royalty on net sales.
