Health ministers rule out use of cheaper AMD drug

Health ministers have ruled out the use of Avastin in macular diseases saying it would be unlawful and against the wider public interest to do so, according to vision charity The Macular Society.

The charity cited a letter from government minister for life sciences, George Freeman, that said he could not support the use of an unlicensed drug for the treatment of AMD on the basis of cost alone.

He was responding to a petition signed by leaders of 120 Clinical Commissioning Groups in February (News 27.02.15) that called for Avastin to be made routinely available to people with wet AMD.

However, Freeman said under European and domestic law it was illegal to manufacture and supply any unlicensed products unless there is an individual clinical need for a particular patient.