| For those 200,000 AMD patients within an average | | | | discrepancy. Even if Medicare and other health |
| year in US, the most effective treatment that | | | | insurance plans offset parts of the Lucentis expense, it |
| approved by FDA is Lucentis. It brings hope to wet | | | | is still much more expensive than Avastin. For |
| AMD patients by stopping and sometimes reversing | | | | example, patients with Medicare may only need to pay |
| vision loss, which is a huge breakthrough. Yet another | | | | a 20% of co-payment for Lucentis, which equals about |
| drug that is similar to Lucentis is also under wide | | | | $400. |
| discussion, which is named Avastin. But Avastin is | | | | Genentech has given explanations about its different |
| much cheaper than Lucentis, so that many doctors | | | | policies of the two drugs. Genentech officials say that |
| recommend Avastin for low-income individuals. | | | | the high price of Lucentis comes from its special |
| However, Avastin has not received FDA approval for | | | | development and its considerable expense of clinical |
| ophthalmic uses. Based on safety issues, Genentech | | | | trials. Lucentis is administered in the form of smaller |
| also restricts the sale of Avastin to compounding | | | | molecules, which are more effective in controlling |
| pharmacies for ocular uses. Both Lucentis and Avastin | | | | abnormal blood vessels. The company also claims that |
| are owned by this company. Since the FDA has | | | | they will not conduct new trials for Avastin, since |
| expressed no concern about the Avastin’s off | | | | Lucentis has already got FDA approval and is a |
| label uses for AMD, many eye doctors argue that | | | | promising AMD solution. The good news may be that |
| Genentech should allow Avastin to be directly sold to | | | | the US government is likely to fund the comparison |
| both physicians and compounding pharmacies. If only | | | | between Lucentis and Avastin. |
| physicians have access to Avastin, doctors at the | | | | While the initial use of Avastin for colon and other |
| American Academy of Ophthalmology protest that | | | | cancers was reported to arouse risks of stroke and |
| many lower income people will be deprived of this | | | | heart attack, its use for macular degeneration has |
| sight-saving drug. The fact is that Lucentis cost an | | | | brought no negative side effects. Most of the doctors |
| average of $2,000, while Avastin only needs $150. | | | | are positive about the Avastin’s long-term safety |
| During the widely off-label uses of Avastin, this | | | | risks. Due to its low price, researchers encourage the |
| treatment has not been proved to be as effective as | | | | use of Avastin. There are also concerns that Avastin |
| Lucentis, or even more effective. No clinical study has | | | | may be unable to penetrate the eye’s retina |
| made a comparison between the two AMD | | | | effectively. The undergoing two-year NEI clinical trails |
| treatments. The most concern is their price | | | | may settle down all these controversies. |