The Bristish Medical Journal published the results of research on the drug
Bevacizumab (brand name Avastin) which is licensed for use as a bowel cancer drug.
Ophthalmologists at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland found that the drug proved to be very effective against macular degeneration, even more effective and cheaper than ranibizumab (brand name Lucentis) which is prescribed for this condition.
Macular degeneration (MD) is the leading cause of vision loss in North America and Europe. It affects twice as many women as men and especially those over 50 years old.
Researchers studied 131 people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and results were very encouraging.
Avastin must be injected into the eye. For now, it is not licensed for this purpose and further research must be conducted. Treatment with Lucentis should continue pending further results to confirm the promising effects of Avastin on macular degeneration.
Researchers comment: "The much lower cost and longer duration of action of bevacizumab compared with the only other intervention (ranibizumab) that results in visual recovery for the average patient with neovascular AMD, and its superiority to other licensed treatments as shown in this study, support its immediate implementation."