Regeneron’s Eylea injection approved by FDA for treatment of preterm infants

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved EYLEA Injection to treat preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity. Following this first pediatric approval, EYLEA is now indicated to treat five retinal conditions caused by ocular angiogenesis. "Retinopathy of prematurity is a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Until now, the only FDA-approved treatment in common use was laser photocoagulation, a complex and lengthy procedure that permanently ablates retina tissue and is stressful not only for infant patients but also the family navigating a delicate time after a preterm birth," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron, and a principal inventor of EYLEA. "For the first time, physicians will now have an FDA approved medication in EYLEA to treat this heartbreaking disease in these smallest of patients. We thank the investigators and the many families who participated in the clinical trials."