About LUCENTIS for DR and DME


LUCENTIS is a prescription medicine that is designed to block vascular endothelial (VASS‐cue‐ler end‐oh‐THEEL‐e‐ull) growth factor, or VEGF (vej‐EFF), from inside the eye. It was first approved in 2015 to treat diabetic retinopathy (DR) with diabetic macular edema (DME). In 2017, it was approved to treat DR with or without DME.

LUCENTIS was the first FDA-approved anti-VEGF medicine for diabetic retinopathy (DR) with or without diabetic macular edema (DME)

1 Million

Approximately 1 million doses of LUCENTIS have been given for the treatment of DR with or without DME.

Learn more about how LUCENTIS may help people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME)

A Retina Specialist can help

Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema are chronic diseases. This means that they don’t go away, but they can be treated. 

  • Your vision will likely continue to get worse without treatment
  • By starting treatment and sticking with your doctor’s plan, you take an important step in helping to manage your DR or DME
  • If you think you are experiencing problems with vision from DR or DME, make an appointment with a Retina Specialist right away

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If you do not have a Retina Specialist, ask your ophthalmologist or primary care physician about a referral or use the Find a Retina Specialist tool.

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Financial Assistance Options

Financial Assistance Options

There may be options to help you afford LUCENTIS, no matter what type of health insurance you have. Learn about Genentech Ophthalmology Access Solutions.

Important Safety Information & Indication

Who is LUCENTIS for? LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab injection) is a prescription medicine for the treatment of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME).

What important safety information should I know about LUCENTIS? You should not use LUCENTIS if you have an infection in or around the eye or are allergic to LUCENTIS or any of its ingredients. LUCENTIS is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye, and it has side effects. Some LUCENTIS patients have had detached retinas and serious eye infections. If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, or painful, or if you have a change in vision, call or visit your eye doctor right away. 

Some LUCENTIS patients have had increases in eye pressure before and within 1 hour of an injection.

Uncommonly, LUCENTIS patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes. Fatal events were seen more often in patients with DME and DR with LUCENTIS compared with patients who did not receive LUCENTIS. Although there were only few fatal events which included causes of death typical of patients with advanced diabetic complications, these events may be caused by LUCENTIS.

Severe inflammation of vessels in the retina has happened for patients treated with LUCENTIS. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you experience a change in vision.

Some LUCENTIS patients have serious side effects related to the injection. These include serious infections inside the eye, detached retinas, and cataracts. The most common eye-related side effects are increased redness in the white of the eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, and increased eye pressure. The most common non–eye-related side effects are nose and throat infections, anemia, nausea and cough. Ask your doctor if you have questions or want more information.

You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.

For additional Safety Information, please talk to your doctor and see the LUCENTIS full Prescribing Information.