RCO calls for Avastin appraisal as AMD treatment

Avastin should be used to treat age-related macular degeneration because it is a cheaper but effective alternative to Lucentis, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO).

The RCO this week recommended UK regulatory bodies appraise the use of bevacizumab, which has the trade name Avastin, for AMD and potentially save the NHS more than £100m each year.

It said ranibizumab, or Lucentis, was the first drug used to treat this condition and licensed for AMD treatment and approved by NICE in 2008, but that two major studies, CATT2 and IVAN3, had found that as an alternative drug Avastin was as effective as the licensed ranibizumab. Avastin is licensed for the treatment of some cancers but does not have a licence for use in AMD.