| Bevacimumab or Avastin received FDA approval | | | | Because of its anti-VEGF properties demonstrated |
| in February 2004 as a treatment for colorectal | | | | as a cancer treatment, Dr. Rosenthal successfully |
| cancer. This was followed in 2006 as approval | | | | used the drug to treat the abnormal blood vessels |
| was granted for Avastin to be used as a | | | | in patients with wet age-related macular |
| treatment for lung cancer and again in 2008 when | | | | degeneration (AMD). |
| the FDA approved its use for breast cancer. The | | | | By stopping the abnormal blood vessels from |
| results that GenenTech, the drug's manufacture | | | | growing beneath the retina, the leaking and |
| were showing through clinical trials, showed that | | | | bleeding halted and the scarring associated with |
| when used to treat tumors, Avastin was an | | | | the damage stopped. If caught early enough, the |
| effective treatment to halt the growth of the | | | | damage caused was minimal and a persons site |
| cancer, and in many instances, shrink the tumors. | | | | was saved. In fact, in most cases vision |
| The key characteristic of Avastin that made it so | | | | improvement was noticed within one-week of the |
| effective against cancer was its ability to stop the | | | | initial injection and continued to improve. |
| growth of new blood vessels requird to feed the | | | | Avastin is used primarily as an off-label treatment |
| tumor's growth. Avastin prohibited the function of | | | | for wet macular degeneration. It has not been |
| a naturally occurring protein in the body known as | | | | approved by the FDA for use in the eye, and its |
| vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the | | | | FDA approval is only for the treatment of the |
| protein responsible for stimulating the growth of | | | | cancers identified. However, many eye care |
| new blood vessels. In doing so, Avastin is classed | | | | professionals continue to sue the drug to treat |
| as an anti-VEGF drug, the first one approved by | | | | wet AMD because it costs considerably less that |
| the FDA. | | | | the approved treatment of Lucentis and has |
| In the December 2005 issue of Review of | | | | demonstrated that it is equally effective in |
| Ophthalmology, Dr. Philip Rosenthal, an Associate | | | | treating the disease. With both Avastin and |
| Professor of Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer | | | | Lucentis, both drugs are almost molecularly |
| Eye Institute, showed how Avastin could be used | | | | identical, but the cost of Avastin to treat macular |
| as a mechanism to treat diseases such as | | | | degeneration is much less. |
| neovascular (wet) age-related macular | | | | There is no doubt that GenenTech has found a |
| degeneration. | | | | wonderful drug that continues to amaze |
| Wet age-related macular degeneration is | | | | researchers and doctors. Being the first anti-VEGF |
| characterised by the abnormal growth of blood | | | | drug approved by the FDA has opened the door |
| vessels beneath the retina. These blood vessels | | | | for many other companies to conduct research in |
| leak blood and fluid, resulting in scarring of the | | | | this area. There is no telling what this drug will be |
| retinal cells, In using the drug Avastin to treat wet | | | | used to treat next and no end to the potential |
| AMD, Dr. Rosenthal was able to stop the | | | | that addition research into this and similar drugs |
| progression of the disease, and many patients | | | | will bring. |
| showed dramatic improvements in their vision. | | | | |