MEP HAILS APPROVAL OF SIGHT-SAVING INJECTION

8.26.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Apr 2008

The approval of an injection by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence should mean that thousands of older people with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) will receive vital sight-saving treatment on the NHS.

Local Euro-MP Liz Lynne, Vice President of the European Parliament's Disability Intergroup, was approached by a constituent who would only be offered treatment after going blind in one eye, even though the drug is funded by the state and freely available in Scotland and other EU Member States. Liz wrote to the Chief Executive of NICE to protest at the lack of availability of the treatment, known under various names including Lucentis, on the NHS.

Liz Lynne MEP said:

"This decision is a victory for common sense; to deny this sight-saving drug on the NHS was to condemn thousands of older people to an avoidable blindness which would have ended up costing far more in extra care and facilities in the long term.

"The fact that treatment is already funded by the health services in Scotland, France, Germany and elsewhere make the initial England and Wales recommendations look unusually cruel and was out of line with many other EU countries.

"Barring any last minute appeals, the treatment should be available after June, which can not come soon enough for many AMD sufferers who are currently losing their sight."