Should Avastin Become the Standard of Care for Wet AMD?
June 28, 2010
A small study reported on BMJ online finds that Avastin leads to significant improvement in vision for the treatment of wet ARMD. The authors find that this data supports the off-label use of Avastin as it compares favorably to Lucentis in both clinical effectivity and cost (Avastin is substantially cheaper).
The study included 131 patients, randomized to Avastin every 6 weeks or standard of care with PDT (photodynamic therapy), pegaptanib or sham.
The study lasted for 54 weeks.
At the end of the study, 32% of the Avastin group improved at least 15 letters in visual acuity compared to just 3% of the control.
The safety profile of Avastin has yet to be defined although no serious side effects were noted in this trial.
The study authors conclude that given the superior clinical effectiveness and tremendous cost savings of Avastin, the drug should become standard of care for wet ARMD.
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