Macular Degeneration Treatment Tips

Avastin and Lucentis are both distributed in the US by the same company Genentech. As we discussed in our previous post Avastin Macular Treatment Warning Lucentis is the approved Macular Degeneration drug but is far more expensive than the similar drug Avastin. Both Macular Degeneration drugs are administered by eye injection. In December 2008 Genentech released a report to eye doctors advising them that some patients had suffered eye inflammation after treatment with Avastin.

Now the US National Eye Institute has announced a new Macular Degeneration Research trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of both drugs.

Participants are being recruited now!

The National Eye Institute is looking for 1200 participants to get involved in the trials. If you are interested you can expect to be treated with an injection every four weeks for up to two years.

The Lucentis-Avastin Trial  schedule is as follows:

1.    Injection of Lucentis on a fixed schedule of once every four weeks for one year, with the patient being assigned randomly in the second year to either an injection of Lucentis every four weeks or on a variable schedule depending on the patient’s response to treatment;

2.    Injection of Avastin on a fixed schedule of once every four weeks for one year, with the patient being assigned randomly in the second year to either an injection of Avastin every four weeks or on a variable schedule depending on the patient’s response to treatment;

3.    Injection of Lucentis on a variable schedule;
 
4.    Injection of Avastin on a variable schedule.