Clinical trial finds Avastin (bevacizumab) and Lucentis (ranibizumab) perform equally well in wet age-related macular degeneration- Genentech/Roche

New results from a landmark clinical trial have confirmed the long-term effectiveness and safety of the Genentech/Roche drugs Avastin (bevacizumab) and Lucentis (ranibizumab) for treating age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness. The study found that half of eyes treated with either drug after five years maintained vision typically considered good enough to drive and read. The researchers called the results "remarkable" given that before these drugs were available the majority of people with the condition would have gone legally blind.

The researchers studied 1,200 patients with wet AMD using either drug. After five years, researchers followed up with 647 of the patients who were still living. They found that 50 percent of eyes had 20/40 vision or better. Researchers also found that treating patients as needed rather than on a monthly basis may possibly yield better outcomes. Overall, the long-term study confirms the fact that Avastin performs just as well as Lucentis for treating wet AMD. In terms of safety, the original Lucentis patient group had after five years a higher incidence of stroke and heart attack in this study – 7.6 percent versus 4.5 percent for Avastin. Researchers cautioned that the safety results may have been affected by the fact that patients could switch drugs or use other treatments after two years. The study is being published online in Ophthalmology.