Buy Visudyne online

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jamie Winn
Aug 4, 2023

What medical conditions does Visudyne treat?

Visudyne treats choroidal neovascularization (CNV), the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye that can cause vision loss in the following eye conditions:

Age-related macular degeneration

This is an eye disease that happens when aging causes damage to the macula, the part of the retina that controls your central vision. This can lead to blurred vision, trouble seeing in dim lights, faded-looking colors, and a blind spot in your visual field.

Pathologic myopia

This condition is a result of excessive growth in the length of your eye leading to the stretching of the retina, choroid, and sclera. It is a major cause of low vision and blindness worldwide.

Ocular histoplasmosis

This is an eye condition that can develop if you have a lung infection called histoplasmosis. If you have histoplasmosis, this fungal infection can move from your lungs to your eyes, leading to vision loss.

What is the active ingredient in Visudyne?

Generic equivalent of Visudyne: verteporfin

Visudyne is an FDA-approved intravenous (IV) medication that is manufactured by Novartis that contains the active ingredient verteporfin. It is used along with photodynamic therapy to treat the abnormal growth of leaky blood vessels in the eye caused by certain eye conditions. Once injected and activated with a non-heat-producing laser light, Visudyne starts a chemical process that destroys the abnormal blood vessels and stops blood from leaking out.

General Drug Information

What is Visudyne and what is it used for?

Visudyne is a photosensitizing agent that helps stop leaking blood vessels that are due to certain eye conditions.

How do you take Visudyne?

Always read the patient information leaflet before using this and any other medication.

Visudyne injection comes in a vial that must be reconstituted and given intravenously by your healthcare provider. Your infusion will typically take about 10 minutes. Fifteen minutes after you begin your infusion, your healthcare provider will put a special contact lens on your eye and administer a laser light through the lens. This activates the Visudyne in the abnormal blood vessels to help close the blood vessels and stop the leakage.

You should avoid exposure of your skin and eyes to bright indoor light or direct sunlight for 5 days after your Visudyne infusion by wearing protective clothing and dark sunglasses. However, you should not stay in totally dark areas. You need to expose your skin to normal indoor and/or indirect sunlight to help inactivate the drug that is in your skin.

If you have a dental appointment or surgery scheduled, let them know you have received Visudyne. Bright lights used in operating rooms and dentist’s offices can activate verteporfin.

Within 3 months of your first treatment, you should have another eye examination to check if any leakage is still present. A series of Visudyne treatments are usually necessary to fix leaky blood vessels.

Before taking Visudyne

You should not use Visudyne if you have a known allergy to verteporfin or any other inactive ingredient in this product’s formulation. You should also avoid this medication if you have a disorder related to red blood cell proteins called porphyria.

You should be sure your healthcare provider is aware of your medical conditions, including:

History of angina (chest pain)
Liver disease
Scheduled surgery or dental appointment
Are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are breastfeeding (Visudyne passes into breast milk)

Visudyne drug interactions

When Visudyne is taken with other medications, it can change the way they work or increase the frequency and severity of side effects. You should discuss with a healthcare professional whether any of the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements you take may interact with this medication. It should be noted that drug interaction studies in humans have not been conducted with Visudyne. However, based on the way Visudyne works and is metabolized, some possible drug interactions include:

Calcium channel blockers
Other photosensitizing agents such as tetracyclines and thiazide diuretics
Blood thinners and other medications that decrease clotting

Visudyne side effects

Some side effects of Visudyne include:

Injection site reactions such as pain, swelling, redness, bleeding, or discoloration
Changes in vision (blurred vision and flashing lights)
Photosensitivity (increased sensitivity to light)
Back pain during the infusion
Constipation
Nausea

Visudyne can sometimes cause more serious side effects including:

Serious, life-threatening allergic reactions, including hives, swelling, or shortness of breath
Severe chest pain
Vision loss

This is not a full list of the side effects of this medication. Contact your healthcare provider for medical advice about any possible side effects you experience while taking Visudyne. You can also report your adverse reactions to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

How much does Visudyne cost?

Visudyne is a brand-name medication that does not have a generic available. One vial of Visudyne 15 mg is $1260. You can order Visudyne to be delivered to your doorstep with a valid prescription. We work with a number of Canadian pharmacies and international pharmacies from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Turkey, all licensed by the qualified pharmaceutical regulatory bodies of their respective countries.

Check out Universal Drugstore’s online pharmacy in Canada for the lowest price available on Visudyne and many other medications, no coupon needed!

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