Allergan Inc., an Irvine drug maker, said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration approved a drug to treat retinal disease.
The drug, Trivaris, is a steroid that reduces swelling in the retina, or the back of the eye. Inflamed retinas can lead to blindness.
In a release, Allergan said that Trivaris approval marked its first drug to treat back-of-the-eye disease. Allergan makes drugs to treat eye conditions such as dry eye and glaucoma.
Retinal diseases are currently the leading cause of blindness in developed countries and represent a significant unmet need in eye care, said Scott Whitcup, Allergan’s executive vice president of research and development.
