Avastin is as effective as Lucentis for AMD
MyVisionTest
that there is no difference in efficacy between Avastin (bevacizumab)
and Lucentis (ranibizumab) for the treatment of age-related macular
degeneration (AMD). The study is the first to report early outcomes of
a prospective, double-masked, randomized, controlled trial comparing
Avastin to Lucentis for the treatment of exudative AMD.
The gold standard of treatment for wet AMD is Lucentis, which was FDA
approved for AMD in 2006. Avastin was FDA approved for colo-rectal
cancer in 2004, and has since been used worldwide as an off-label,
local intravitreal treatment for wet AMD. Both have shown to be
efficacious in the treatment of AMD, however, it is unknown which one
is more effective.
This study was supported with resources and the use of facilities at
the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System. The VA funded the
cost of medications for this study. Patients were enrolled by a 2:1
randomization to either the Avastin (2) or Lucentis (1) arm of the
study. Once inclusion criteria were met, patients were given
intravitreal injection of Avasatin or Lucentis every month for the
first three months. Following the third injection, patients returned
for monthly examination and testing and received further injections on
an as needed basis for one year.
"Early results of this trial suggest that at 6 months, visual outcomes
of bevacizumab appear to be no different from ranibizumab," said
principal investigator Manju Subramanian.
Genentech Pharmaceuticals (the manufacturer of both drugs) has refused
to sponsor a head to head trial comparing the 2 treatments. The open
market cost of a single injection of Lucentis is approximately
$2000.00. Comparatively, the cost of a single injection of Avastin for
AMD is $40.00. Patients potentially undergo up to 13 injections per
year, leading to a large cost differentiation for treatment of this
common eye disease.
The National Eye Institute is sponsoring the Comparison of AMD
Treatment Trials Study (CATT Study), a multi-centered, randomized,
double-masked, clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy of
Avastin compared to Lucentis therapy and will be conducted in 44
clinical centers throughout the United States. Early results are
expected in 2011.
Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167049.php
======================
ABOVE IS A PLAIN TEXT REPRODUCTION OF A NEWS STORY THAT APPEARS ON
MYVISIONTEST.COM. ANY HYPERLINKS, IMAGES, TABLES, OR OTHER
ENHANCEMENTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. TO VIEW THE ORIGINAL VISIT THE BELOW
LINK.
http://www.myvisiontest.com/newsarchive.php?id=998