Prescription medication · Anti-VEGF (Ophthalmic Injection)
ranibizumab
Also sold as Lucentis. CIMERLI treats several eye conditions.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 26,174
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- Rx
- Availability
ranibizumab (Lucentis) is a prescription Anti-VEGF (Ophthalmic Injection). CIMERLI treats several eye conditions.
CIMERLI is a medicine used to treat certain eye problems. It helps to stop blood vessels from growing and leaking in the eye.
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What it does
CIMERLI treats several eye conditions.
Common side effects
Redness in the eye, Eye pain, Seeing spots or floaters
Key warnings
Injections with CIMERLI may cause an eye infection or a detached retina.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from ranibizumab's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
CIMERLI blocks a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF can cause abnormal blood vessels to grow in the eye. By blocking VEGF, CIMERLI helps to reduce blood vessel growth and leakage.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 26,174 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for ranibizumab, by number of reports
- Death
Death
3,783 reports
- Visual Acuity Reduced
Visual Acuity Reduced
2,888 reports
- Visual Impairment
Visual Impairment
1,623 reports
- Cerebrovascular Accident 1,235
Cerebrovascular Accident
1,235 reports
- Eye Haemorrhage 1,041
Eye Haemorrhage
1,041 reports
- Blindness 1,036
Blindness
1,036 reports
- Vision Blurred 1,029
Vision Blurred
1,029 reports
- Eye Pain 954
Eye Pain
954 reports
- Retinal Haemorrhage 789
Retinal Haemorrhage
789 reports
- Endophthalmitis 727
Endophthalmitis
727 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for ranibizumab each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where ranibizumab sits
ranibizumab has more FDA adverse-event reports than 61% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is ranibizumab; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 26,174 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2005–2025.
Total Reports
26,174
Reports Mentioning Death
5,072
19.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
4,781
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEATH | 3,783 |
| 2 | VISUAL ACUITY REDUCED | 2,888 |
| 4 | VISUAL IMPAIRMENT | 1,623 |
| 5 | CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT | 1,235 |
| 7 | EYE HAEMORRHAGE | 1,041 |
| 9 | BLINDNESS | 1,036 |
| 10 | VISION BLURRED | 1,029 |
| 11 | EYE PAIN | 954 |
| 12 | RETINAL HAEMORRHAGE | 789 |
| 13 | ENDOPHTHALMITIS | 727 |
| 14 | MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION | 688 |
| 15 | CATARACT | 681 |
| 16 | VITREOUS FLOATERS | 618 |
| 17 | FALL | 590 |
| 18 | MALAISE | 582 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Injections with CIMERLI may cause an eye infection or a detached retina. Tell your doctor right away if you have eye pain, redness, or changes in vision. CIMERLI may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. There have been rare cases of death in patients with diabetes who were treated with CIMERLI.
Common Questions
What is CIMERLI used for?
How often will I get CIMERLI injections?
Will the injection hurt?
How long will I need to take CIMERLI?
Can CIMERLI cure my eye condition?
What should I do if my vision gets worse?
Are there any other medicines that can interact with CIMERLI?
Can I drive after getting a CIMERLI injection?
What are the signs of an eye infection?
How will I know if CIMERLI is working?
What are the common side effects of ranibizumab?
What drug class is ranibizumab?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for ranibizumab?
Related Medications in Anti-VEGF (Ophthalmic Injection)
Other drugs grouped near ranibizumab - same-class peers and common alternatives.
aflibercept
Eylea
AHZANTIVE is a medicine used to treat certain eye problems.
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artificial tears
Refresh, Systane
Artificial tears are eye drops that lubricate your eyes.
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bevacizumab (ophthalmic)
Avastin
Avastin is a medicine that blocks a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Compare with ranibizumab →
bimatoprost
Lumigan
Bimatoprost eye drops help lower pressure in the eye.
Compare with ranibizumab →
brimonidine ophthalmic
Alphagan P
Alphagan P eye drops help lower pressure in the eye.
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for ranibizumab: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 26,174.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 19.38%.
- digoxin Δ 0.01 pts · 70,341 reports · Cardiac Glycoside 19.39%death share
- heparin Δ 0.05 pts · 12,966 reports · Unfractionated Heparin 19.43%death share
- enzalutamide Δ 0.23 pts · 57,614 reports · Androgen Receptor Inhibitor 19.61%death share
- diazepam Δ 0.25 pts · 117,869 reports · Benzodiazepine 19.13%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
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Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for ranibizumab
The FDA label for ranibizumab (sold under brand names such as Lucentis) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Anti-VEGF (Ophthalmic Injection) class. CIMERLI treats several eye conditions. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Redness in the eye, Eye pain, Seeing spots or floaters.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 26,174 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: June 17, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages