A miracle cancer drug that prevents blindness
Bevacimumab or Avastin received FDA approval in February 2004 as a treatment for colorectal cancer. This was followed in 2006 when approval was granted for use of Avastin as a treatment of lung cancer, and again in 2008 when the FDA approved its use for breast cancer. The findings that Genentech, the manufacture of the drug demonstrated by clinical studies showed that when used to treat tumors, Avastin has been an effective treatment to halt the growth of the cancer, and in many cases, the tumors shrink.
A central feature of Avastin, which it so effective against cancer, was his ability to stop the growth of new blood vessels to feed the required tumor growth. Avastin prohibited the function a naturally occurring protein in the body known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the protein responsible for stimulating the growth of new blood vessels. The Avastin is an anti-VEGF drug, the first by the FDA.
In the December 2005 issue of Review of Ophthalmology, Dr. Philip Rosenthal, an associate professor of Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, showed how Avastin could be used as a mechanism for the treatment of diseases such as neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration.
Wet age-related macular degeneration is characterized by an abnormal growth of blood vessels under the retina. These blood vessels leak blood and fluid, causing scarring of the retina cells, in the use of the drug Avastin for the treatment of wet AMD, Dr. Rosenthal was able to view the progression of the disease, and many patients showed dramatic improvements in their vision . Because of its anti-VEGF properties shown as a cancer treatment, Dr. Rosenthal successfully used the drug for the treatment of abnormal blood vessels in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
With the termination of the abnormal blood vessels from growing beneath the retina, which leak and bleeding stopped and the scarring associated with the damage stops. If caught early enough, the damage caused was minimal and persons website has been saved. In fact, in most cases, vision improvement was noted within one week after the first injection and continued to improve.
Avastin is used primarily as an off-label treatment for wet macular degeneration. It was not by the FDA for use in the eye, and its FDA approval is only valid for the treatment of cancers detected. However, many eye care professionals continue to sue the drug for the treatment of wet AMD because it costs significantly less that the approved Lucentis treatment and has shown that it is equally effective in the treatment of disease. Both Avastin and Lucentis, both of molecular medicine are almost identical, but the cost of Avastin for the treatment of macular degeneration is much less.
There is no doubt that Genetic has a wonderful drug, which continues to fascinate researchers and physicians. As the first anti-VEGF drug, the FDA has opened the door for many other companies in the conduct of research in this field. There is no saying what this drug is used to treat the next and no end to the potential that in addition to the research in these and similar drugs will bring.