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Following on from recent reports regarding the current stand off between Novartis and their drug Lucentis and the new but un certified equivalent Avastin, BBC News are reporting that a switch from one drug to the other could not only continue to effectively help prevent blindness in patients with Wet AMD, but could also save the NHS a staggering £84 million per year should the switch occur.
Both Lucentis and Avastin are currently being used in PCT's around the country for the same condition, Wet AMD, or Age Related Macular Degeneration. Whereas Lucentis is approved for use with eye conditions however, the alternative Avastin is not, and as such Novartis, the manufacturer of the licenced product is calling for PCT's to stop using the drug altogether on the basis of patient safety. Due to the legal proceedings that the company has begun to undertake, supporters of the drug Avastin have recommended that the drug be fast track appraised so that it can be used in relation to Wet AMD or that it be removed completely due to concerns over its safety. The main stumbling block has occurred it would appear, as Roche, the rights owners to Avastin have never pursued clinical trials to test the product for use with eye conditions, as this would involve lengthy and costly investigations.
Recent trials of the two drugs in side by side comparisons have shown negligible differences between the twos effectiveness, with improvements in patients regardless of which drug was used. These tests suggested that a swap in drugs would not decrease or increase patient treatment efficiency but would have a marked effect on the bottom line of those paying, the NHS. The estimated figures put forward by the IVAN researchers on this case claimed that based on estimates of 17,295 eyes being treated each year at costs of £700 per Lucentis injection and just £60 per Avastin treatment, the NHS could save as much as £84 million each and every year.