Have You Ever Seen An Onion Cry?
You walk into your surgeon’s consulting room. He smiles broadly, asks after your health and invites you to lie down. Then he stabs you in the eye.
Later, as the effect of the local anaesthetic wears off and you begin dancing on the ceiling, the last thing on your mind is medical politics.
So I was infuriated by a story in Saturday’s U.K. Mail Online claiming that British doctors are being pressurized to use Avastin, a cheap alternative to Lucentis when treating macular degeneration, an eye condition which may lead to blindness.
It’s a long time since I’ve read such cheap, scaremongering sensationalism in the name of medical journalism and want to put the record straight on many issues.
When some years ago, I began treatment by Avastin in my left eye for ‘wet’ Age Related Macular Degeneration , as opposed to the much more expensive Lucentis, I was informed (my paraphrase):
The term ‘AMD’ is a misnomer because the condition may affect people even in their 20s.
Avastin was first approved by the American Food and Drug Administration to treat metastatic colorectal cancer.
Genentech (since merged with Roche), the company which manufactures both drugs, produced a ‘label’ explaining the risks and benefits involved.
Avastin works by blocking “vascular endothelial growth factor (‘VEGF’)”. It has since been used ‘off label’ by ophthalmologists to treat AMD and similar conditions as research showed that VEGF to be a cause of the growth of the abnormal vessels causing such conditions.
Before treatment, I was advised in writing of the alternatives available and of possible complications from both drugs. Either could produce a stroke or heart attack.
The Daily Mail claimed that dozens of U.K. ‘primary care trusts’ have told consultants to use Avastin which is unlicensed there and costs only £50.00 a shot as opposed to Lucentis, which is licensed for use but costs about £900 per injection and is approved by ‘NICE’ - the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
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