The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety has approved Iluvien to treat chronic diabetic macular edema (DME), representing the first EU approval for the product. The announcement follows agreement by the UK, acting as the Reference Member State (RMS), and six other EU member states, to approve Iluvien for the treatment of DME, currently being reviewed under the EU’s decentralized procedure. Following announcement of the Austrian approval, shares in the biopharmaceutical group, Alimera Sciences, sponsor of the drug, were reported to climb almost 30% on the NASDAQ (NASDAQ: ALIM).