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Article: Genentech will restrict use of Avastin for eye disease.(Warnings/Recalls)
- Article from:
- Adverse Event Reporting News
- Article date:
- October 22, 2007
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2007 Washington Information Source, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Genentech is moving to restrict the use of its cancer drug Avastin by ophthalmologists, a move that could substantially raise the costs of treating a common eye disease.
The move is already angering some eye doctors, who say it may force them to instead use Genentech's much more expensive drug Lucentis. Lucentis is approved to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. But it costs about $2,000 a dose, with a dose needed as often as once a month.
As a result, many retina specialists prefer off-label use of Avastin, which has not been rigorously tested for macular degeneration but has the same mechanism of action as ...