FDA approves first drug for eye condition

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved what it called the first drug to treat an eye condition that can interfere with the part of the retina responsible for reading vision.

The agency announced the approval of Jetrea (ocriplasmin), made by Iselin, N.J.-based ThromboGenics. The drug is used to treat symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion.

VMA contributes to eye problems if the vitreous, the jelly in the center of the eye, moves away from the macula, the part responsible for reading vision, leading to damage to the macula due to tugging or pulling.

Jetrea is an enzyme that breaks down proteins in the eye responsible for VMA, allowing better separation between the vitreous and macula and reducing the chances that tugging will occur, the FDA said.

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