UK doctors call for approval of off-label use of Avastin for wet-AMD

Doctors in the UK are calling on health ministers and NHS England to intervene to make Swiss pharma giant Roche's (ROG: SIX) blockbuster cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) routinely available on the National Health Service for people with a debilitating eye condition known as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Doctors in England can prescribe Avastin "off-label," but they are only supposed to do that if there is no suitable licensed drug. However, another drug, Lucentis (ranibizumab), sold by Novartis (NOVN: VX) in Europe and Roche in other areas, is licensed for wet AMD, but typically costs around £700 ($1,076) for an injection. But Avastin costs just about £60, so switching to this drug could save the NHS in England £102 million a year, say clinical leaders, quoted by public broadcaster the BBC.

Amanda Doyle, co-chairperson of NHS Clinical Commissioners, said: "This is a long standing issue within the NHS, and the numbers of CCGs who have united behind this shows the strength of feeling there is to ensure that we have all the available options to be able to deliver the best possible care for our patients.”