Ranibizumab is an anti-neovascularisation agent in the class of medications called vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antagonists. Initially, FDA approved this medicine on 30th June 2006 for its medical use. 

It is used in adults to treat several eye diseases causing vision impairment. It is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD, a persistent eye disease that causes loss of the ability to see straight ahead and may make it more difficult to read, drive, or perform other daily activities). 

Ranibizumab is also used to treat myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV; a complication in near-sighted people where new blood vessels can grow in the back of the eye), and to treat macular edema after retinal vein occlusion (an eye disease caused by blockage of blood flow from the eye that leads to blurry vision and vision loss). It is also used to treat diabetic macular edema (an eye disease caused by diabetes that can lead to vision loss) and diabetic retinopathy (damage to the eyes caused by diabetes).

Ranibizumab is administered as an injection into your eye by an eye doctor under a local anesthetic. Your doctor will decide the dose and frequency of the injection based on your disease condition. Do not self-administer the medicine. 

The common side effects of ranibizumab are pain and swelling in the eye, bleeding in the eye, blurred vision, urinary tract infection, skin rashes, and discharge from the eye. Other serious side effects are tearing of the layer in the back of the eye, flashes of light in the eye, temporary loss of sight, clouding of the lens, and eyeball infection. 

Do not use Ranibizumab injection if you are allergic to Ranibizumab or other ingredients of this medicine. Do not take this medicine if you have an infection in or around your eye and if you have pain or redness in your eye. This medicine should not be used in pregnant and breastfeeding women because it can harm your unborn baby. 

Inform your doctor immediately if you develop symptoms such as eye pain or increased discomfort, worsening eye redness, blurred or decreased vision, an increased number of small particles in your vision, or increased sensitivity to light. Inform your doctor if you have a prior history of eye conditions or eye treatments or had a stroke before initiating the treatment.  

Inform your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription, over-the-counter, nutritional or vitamin supplements, and herbal products. Certain medications interact with Ranibizumab and reduce their effectiveness by causing undesirable side effects. 

Store in a refrigerator (2°C – 8°C). Do not freeze. Protect the medicine from light and excessive moisture. Keep the medicine out of reach of children and pets. The use of ranibizumab in children and adolescents has not been established and is therefore not recommended.  This medicine can be used for people of 65 years of age and over with dose adjustments.  If the eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or develops a vision change, seek immediate care from an ophthalmologist. Your doctor will monitor the condition of your eye and, depending on how you respond to the treatment, will decide if and when you need further treatment. 

1. Lucentis 10 mg/ml solution for injection - Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) - (emc). www.medicines.org.uk. [Revised Nov 2022] [cited 2023 Jun 9]. Available from: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/307/pil
2. Genentech, Inc, Lucentis [ranibizumab injection]. Access.fda.gov. [revised October 2014] [cited 2023 Jun 9]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2014/125156s105lbl.pdf
3. James E Frampton; Ranibizumab: a review of its use in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration; Drugs & Aging; Published on May 2013; Accessed on June 09 2023; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23539234/

The drug information on this page is not a substitute for medical advice. It is meant for educational purposes only. For further details, consult your doctor about your medical condition to know if you can receive this treatment.