Verteporfin Injection
Verteporfin Injection is a light-activated eye treatment given into a vein to treat abnormal blood vessel growth under the retina caused by age-related macular degeneration, pathologic myopia or presumed ocular histoplasmosis.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 2 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Visudyne (verteporfin) is a two-step treatment, a vein infusion then a red laser that activates the drug to seal abnormal vessels under the retina from age-related macular degeneration, pathologic myopia (severe nearsightedness) or presumed ocular histoplasmosis (a fungal eye condition); on the market since about 2000, it is now a less common specialist option because injections into the eye became standard. Most people tolerate it well, though blurred vision, flashes of light and back pain during the infusion are common. Afterward, your skin and eyes burn easily, so avoid sunlight and bright indoor light for 5 days, and report sudden vision loss or injection site pain right away.
Clinical pearls
- Bring sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves to your appointment, because the trip home already counts as light exposure.
- Tell the eye team about sun-sensitizing medicines such as tetracyclines, sulfa drugs, thiazide water pills or sulfonylureas, which raise burn risk.
- Porphyria rules this treatment out, and pregnancy or breastfeeding should be raised before the appointment, not after.
- If emergency surgery might happen within 48 hours after treatment, make sure the surgical and anesthesia team knows you had Visudyne.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Verteporfin Injection, written from its FDA label.
What Verteporfin Injection is used for
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Verteporfin Injection treats abnormal blood vessel growth under the retina in these situations:
- Visudyne is used for predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- Visudyne is used for predominantly classic subfoveal CNV due to pathologic myopia.
- Visudyne is used for predominantly classic subfoveal CNV due to presumed ocular histoplasmosis.
- There is not enough evidence to support Visudyne for predominantly occult subfoveal CNV.
How Verteporfin Injection works
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Visudyne is a photoenhancer. It only works when it is switched on by a nonthermal red laser light.
Once activated, it produces reactive oxygen that damages the lining of the abnormal vessels and closes them off. It tends to collect more in these new vessels, but it is also present in the retina, so some nearby retinal tissue may be damaged. Closing of the vessels was confirmed in people using a dye test of the eye (fluorescein angiography).
Verteporfin Injection dosage
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Visudyne is given by a healthcare professional in two steps.
- First, an infusion into a vein over 10 minutes, with the dose based on body surface area.
- Second, a red laser is aimed at the abnormal vessels starting 15 minutes after the infusion begins. The light lasts about 83 seconds.
- Your doctor rechecks your eye after 3 months and may repeat treatment if there is still leakage.
- If both eyes need treatment, your doctor will decide whether to treat them together or separately.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Verteporfin Injection prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Recommended dosage of VISUDYNE (verteporfin) for photodynamic therapy of choroidal neovascularization (CNV)
- 6 mg/m2 body surface area, reconstituted with 7 mL Sterile Water for Injection (2 mg/mL), diluted with 5% Dextrose for Injection to a total infusion volume of 30 mL, and administered intravenously over 10 minutes at a rate of 3 mL/minute
- Then light at 50 J/cm2 of neovascular lesion at an intensity of 600 mW/cm2, wavelength 689±3 nm, administered over 83 sec
- Physician should re-evaluate the patient 3 months after treatment; therapy may be repeated if choroidal neovascular leakage is detected on fluorescein angiography
- Concurrent bilateral treatment (eligible lesions in both eyes, with previous VISUDYNE therapy in one eye with an acceptable safety profile)
- Both eyes can be treated concurrently after a single administration of VISUDYNE
- The more aggressive lesion is treated first at 15 minutes after the start of infusion, then the second eye with the same light dose and intensity, starting no later than 20 minutes from the start of infusion
- First presentation with eligible lesions in both eyes without prior VISUDYNE therapy
- Treat only one eye (the most aggressive lesion) at the first course
- One week later, if no significant safety issues are identified, the second eye can be treated with the same regimen after a second VISUDYNE infusion
- Approximately 3 months later, both eyes can be evaluated and concurrent treatment following a new VISUDYNE infusion can be started if both le
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • Recommended Dose : 6 mg/m 2 body surface area. ( 2.2 ) • Reconstitution : Reconstitute each vial of VISUDYNE with 7 mL of Sterile Water for Injection to provide 7.5 mL containing 2 mg/mL of verteporfin. Reconstituted VISUDYNE must be protected from light and used within 4 hours. ( 2.3 ) • Dilution : Dilute desired dose of reconstituted VISUDYNE with 5% Dextrose for Injection to a total infusion volume of 30 mL. ( 2.3 ) • Infusion : Administer intravenously over 10 minutes at a rate of 3 mL/minute, using an appropriate syringe pump and in-line filter. ( 2.3 ) • Light Administration : The recommended light dose is 50 J/cm 2 of neovascular lesion administered at an intensity of 600 mW/cm 2 . The wavelength of the laser light should be 689±3 nm. This light dose is administered over 83 seconds, starting 15 minutes after the start of the VISUDYNE infusion. ( 2.4 ) 2.1 Important Administration Instructions A course of VISUDYNE (verteporfin for injection) therapy is a two-step process requiring administration of both drug and light. • The first step is the administration of VISUDYNE. • The second step is the activation of VISUDYNE with light from a nonthermal diode laser. The physician should re-evaluate the patient 3 months after treatment and if choroidal neovascular leakage is detected on fluorescein angiography, therapy may be repeated. Lesion Size Determination The greatest linear dimension (GLD) of the lesion should be estimated by fluorescein angiography and color fundus photography. All classic and occult CNV, blood and/or blocked fluorescence, and any serous detachments of the retinal pigment epithelium should be included for this measurement. Fundus cameras with magnification within the range of 2.4-2.6X are recommended. The GLD of the lesion on the fluorescein angiogram must be corrected for the magnification of the fundus camera to obtain the GLD of the lesion on the retina. Spot Size Determination The treatment spot size should be 1,000 microns larger than the GLD of the lesion on the retina to allow a 500 micron border, ensuring full coverage of the lesion. The maximum spot size used in the clinical trials was 6,400 microns.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Verteporfin Injection side effects
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The most common effects are injection site reactions and vision changes. These happened in roughly 10% to 30% of patients.
Common side effects
- Injection site reactions (pain, swelling, inflammation, rash, bleeding, discoloration)
- Blurred vision
- Flashes of light
- Decreased vision
- Blind spots or visual field defects
- Back pain during the infusion
- Sunburn-type skin reactions after light exposure
- Fever or weakness
- Less often: dry eyes, cataracts, fever, weakness, nausea, constipation, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation
When to get medical help
- Get help right away if you notice pain, swelling, redness or discoloration at the injection site during or after the infusion. This can mean the drug leaked out of the vein.
- Tell your doctor right away if your vision drops sharply within a week of treatment.
- Get emergency help for signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as trouble breathing, rash, flushing, dizziness or fainting.
- Report severe chest pain.
- Call your doctor if you get a sunburn-like skin reaction after light exposure.
Severe vision loss within 7 days was reported in 1% to 5% of patients. Serious allergic reactions and severe chest pain have also been reported.
Verteporfin Injection warnings and precautions
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- Light sensitivity: Avoid direct sunlight and bright indoor light for 5 days. Protect as much internal tissue as possible from intense light if emergency surgery is needed within 48 hours.
- Leakage at the injection site: This can cause severe pain, swelling, discoloration, skin damage and burns if exposed to light. The infusion should be stopped, and cold compresses and pain relievers may be used.
- Sudden vision loss: If you lose 4 or more lines of vision within a week, retreatment should wait until your vision recovers.
- Allergic reactions: These can be serious, so you should be monitored during the infusion.
Verteporfin Injection interactions
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No human interaction studies were done, but the label notes these possible concerns:
- Tetracyclines, sulfonamides, phenothiazines, sulfonylurea diabetes medicines, thiazide diuretics and griseofulvin: may increase the risk of skin sun-sensitivity reactions.
- Calcium channel blockers, polymyxin B and radiation therapy: could increase drug uptake by the vessel lining.
- Dimethyl sulfoxide, beta-carotene, ethanol, formate and mannitol: may reduce Visudyne's effect.
- Thromboxane A2 inhibitors and other drugs that reduce clotting, vessel narrowing or platelet clumping: could reduce effectiveness.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Verteporfin Injection prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Calcium channel blockers, polymyxin B or radiation therapy: Could enhance the rate of VISUDYNE uptake by the vascular endothelium.
- Other photosensitizing agents (e.g., tetracyclines, sulfonamides, phenothiazines, sulfonylurea hypoglycemic agents, thiazide diuretics and griseofulvin): Could increase the potential for skin photosensitivity reactions.
- Compounds that quench active oxygen species or scavenge radicals (dimethyl sulfoxide, β-carotene, ethanol, formate, mannitol): Would be expected to decrease VISUDYNE activity.
- Drugs that decrease clotting, vasoconstriction or platelet aggregation (e.g., thromboxane A2 inhibitors): Could also decrease the efficacy of VISUDYNE therapy.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Drug interaction studies in humans have not been conducted with VISUDYNE. Verteporfin is rapidly eliminated by the liver, mainly as unchanged drug. Metabolism is limited and occurs by liver and plasma esterases. Microsomal cytochrome P450 does not appear to play a role in verteporfin metabolism. Based on the mechanism of action of verteporfin, many drugs used concomitantly could influence the effect of VISUDYNE therapy. Possible examples include the following: Calcium channel blockers, polymyxin B or radiation therapy could enhance the rate of VISUDYNE uptake by the vascular endothelium. Other photosensitizing agents (e.g., tetracyclines, sulfonamides, phenothiazines, sulfonylurea hypoglycemic agents, thiazide diuretics and griseofulvin) could increase the potential for skin photosensitivity reactions. Compounds that quench active oxygen species or scavenge radicals, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, β-carotene, ethanol, formate and mannitol, would be expected to decrease VISUDYNE activity. Drugs that decrease clotting, vasoconstriction or platelet aggregation, e.g., thromboxane A 2 inhibitors, could also decrease the efficacy of VISUDYNE therapy.
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Verteporfin Injection
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- Do not use with porphyria or a known allergy to any ingredient.
- Pregnancy: no human data. Use only if the benefit justifies the risk to the baby.
- Breastfeeding: the drug passes into breast milk, so nursing may need to be stopped or treatment delayed.
- Children: safety and effectiveness have not been established.
- Older adults: most trial patients were over 65, and a reduced treatment effect was seen with increasing age.
- Liver: mild liver problems lengthened the half-life by about 20%.
Verteporfin Injection overdose
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Too much drug or light in the treated eye can block blood flow in normal retinal vessels. This may cause a severe and possibly permanent loss of vision. An overdose of the drug also extends how long you stay sensitive to bright light, so light precautions should be extended in proportion to the overdose.
What Verteporfin Injection does in the body
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When light activates verteporfin, it damages the lining of abnormal vessels. The damaged lining releases substances that cause platelet clumping, clot formation and vessel narrowing. This temporarily closes the abnormal vessel. Because the drug is also present in the retina, nearby retinal tissue may be harmed.
How your body processes Verteporfin Injection
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After the infusion, verteporfin leaves the body with a terminal half-life of about 5 to 6 hours. It is carried in the blood mainly by lipoproteins. The body breaks it down only slightly, using esterase enzymes in the liver and plasma rather than cytochrome P450 enzymes. It is cleared mainly in the stool, with less than 0.01% found in urine.
How to store Verteporfin Injection
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Store VISUDYNE at controlled room temperature between 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F). Protect from light.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Verteporfin Injection
18 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Verteporfin Injection in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 8
- Minor · 9
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Verteporfin Injection: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Verteporfin Injection — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is Visudyne for?
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How is the treatment given?
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What should I do after treatment?
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What side effects should I expect, and which should worry me?
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Can I take it if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
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Do my other medicines matter?
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Is Verteporfin Injection available over the counter?
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When was Verteporfin Injection first available?
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Who makes Verteporfin Injection?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Verteporfin Injection on HelloPharmacist
Verteporfin Injection forms and strengths (how it comes)
Verteporfin Injection is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Verteporfin Injection inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Injection
How this form is used
- Visudyne is used for predominantly classic subfoveal CNV due to AMD, pathologic myopia or presumed ocular histoplasmosis.
- Visudyne is given as a 10-minute infusion into a vein.
- Visudyne is followed by laser light on the eye starting 15 minutes after the infusion begins.
- Visudyne must be mixed and diluted by a healthcare professional, and protected from light.
- After Visudyne, avoid direct sunlight and bright indoor light for 5 days.
Verteporfin Injection on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Verteporfin Injection appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
2 companies list 2 Verteporfin Injection product records with the FDA, mostly as injection; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2000. Brand names on the directory include Visudyne; the rest are generics.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Verteporfin Injection is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Verteporfin Injection is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Verteporfin Injection is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Verteporfin Injection prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Verteporfin Injection ranks #1,569 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 2% of them.
Utilization by Verteporfin Injection product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
verteporfin 15 MG Injection
Summed across the 1 of 2 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 313595
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Verteporfin Injection, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 1 of 2 listed Verteporfin Injection NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Verteporfin Injection products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Verteporfin Injection — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 15 mg | Intravenous | Bausch & Lomb Incorporated | NDA | View NDC → |
| 15 mg | Intravenous | Bausch Health US LLC | NDA | View NDC → |
Showing 2 of 2 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 2 Verteporfin Injection NDCs →
Verteporfin Injection side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Verteporfin Injection — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Verteporfin Injection in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Verteporfin Injection FDA approval history
How Verteporfin Injection went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Verteporfin Injection recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Verteporfin recalls since July 2021.
✅No Verteporfin recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 118886 1 dose form · 1 strength
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Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1867718In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 15 MGRxCUI 313595
Look up RxCUI 118886 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Verteporfin Injection supply and shortage status
Whether Verteporfin Injection is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
Verteporfin Injection brand names
Verteporfin Injection is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Visudyne. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Verteporfin Injection: manufacturers and labelers
2 companies list Verteporfin Injection products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Bausch Health US LLC. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Verteporfin Injection drug class (RxNorm)
Verteporfin Injection belongs to the Photoenhancer class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Verteporfin Injection page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Bausch & Lomb Incorporated is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →