Cancer drug Avastin produces similar result as Lucentis fro AMD treatment

A National Eye Institute (NEI) clinical trial has revealed that a $50 Avastin prescription is equally effective as a $2,000 Lucentis prescription for treatment of age-relating macular degeneration (AMD). Avastin which is an old cancer drug was found to prevent blindness caused by AMD just the way Lucentis, a drug manufactured to treat AMD, does.

The clinical trial in question was conducted at the NEI when Lucentis was yet to be approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Instead of waiting for the FDA approval of Lucentis, ophthalmologists at the NEI started treatment of patients suffering from AMD with small Avastin doses and found that it had effects similar to that of Lucentis.

AMD is one of the leading causes of blindness among people over 50 years of age in the United States with over 250,000 patients being treated every year, according to a NEI estimate. The condition occurs due to abnormal growth or leakage of blood vessels present in the retina. In the advanced stage of the disease fluid and blood are leaked into the macula causing obscured vision. It can even cause loss of central vision making the patient incapable of reading, driving, or recognizing faces. The patient also becomes incapable of carrying out any work that requires coordination of hand and eye.
In 2005, Lucentis was adjudged to be ideal for the treatment of the wet form of AMD. But while the ophthalmologists were waiting for the drug to be approved by the FDA, they started injecting small doses of Avastin in AMD patients. This led to the launch of the Comparison of AMD Treatments Trials (CATT) in 2008 by the NEI. 1,185 patients were included in the study from over 43 centers of NEI. The patients were randomly assigned Lucentis or Avastin, either on a monthly basis or on as per requirement basis. Further ophthalmologists were not informed about the drugs given to the patients.
After a year it was found that all the patients showed the same amount of improvement in their condition irrespective of whether they were treated with Avastin or Lucentis. Moreover, it was found that Avastin works just as well when it is used on as per requirement basis as when it is used on a monthly schedule.

Lead researcher Dr. Suresh Chandra, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, said, "This is wonderful, it could result in billions of savings for the Medicare program. It also has important implications for patients in developing countries where they just can't afford Lucentis."

The cost difference between Lucentis and Avastin arises from the fact that Avastin in basically a cancer drug which is required in large amounts for the treatment of cancer. However, for AMD treatment only a small dose of Avastin is required and it comes for only $50. But Lucentis is a drug that was manufactured to specifically prevent blindness caused by AMD and hence a single dose of Lucantis comes for $2,000.