Further scrutiny raised over AMD treatment

Questions have been raised as to why eye drug Lucentis continues to be used instead of the cheaper Avastin to treat wet age related macular degeneration in the UK.

According to a report by BMJ Journal, doctors in England’s NHS are unable to prescribe the ‘cheap, safe, and effective drug’ despite its use elsewhere.

The journal set out to investigate the legal and regulatory positions in the UK. Among the findings were that GMC guidance on prescribing and managing medicines discouraged off-label prescribing, and that companies had not done the necessary trials.

It follows news in February that clinical leaders from 120 Clinical Commissioning Groups had called on the General Medical Council, the Department of Health and NHS England to remove the current barriers to using Avastin.