The Clinic for Eye Diseases at the University Clinical Center Tuzla (UKC Tuzla) has introduced faricimab, an innovative drug, into routine clinical use.
Faricimab represents the latest therapeutic option for treating conditions such as neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. It is the first dual-inhibitory monoclonal antibody that targets two key pathological pathways simultaneously- VEGF-A and angiopoietin-2. This dual mechanism enables more effective and sustained disease control, with the potential to reduce the frequency of intravitreal injections.
“By introducing faricimab, we are opening a new chapter in the treatment of our patients. This therapy offers not only improved clinical effectiveness but also greater convenience—for both patients and physicians. We are proud to provide access to such advanced treatment, positioning our clinic among the leading ophthalmology centers in the region,” said Prim. Doc. Dr. Jasmin Zvorničanin, Acting Head of the Clinic for Eye Diseases.
Faricimab has undergone extensive clinical evaluation, including the international TENAYA and LUCERNE studies, which demonstrated that the drug enables a significant proportion of patients to preserve functional vision while extending the interval between injections to as long as 16 weeks.
The first treatments with faricimab have already begun at the Clinic for Eye Diseases of the University Clinical Center Tuzla, with patients enrolled through carefully designed protocols and individualized treatment plans.
Prof. Dr. Šekib Umihanić, Director of the University Clinical Center Tuzla, highlighted that the introduction of faricimab marks an important step forward in advancing patient care. He noted that the Eye Clinic performed more than 1,900 intravitreal drug applications in the past year, making it the leading clinic in the region for this procedure. He also emphasized that the Eye Clinic of the University Clinical Center Tuzla is the only public health institution offering its patients access to the full range of anti-VEGF drugs currently used in clinical practice.
