Avastin
Avastin is a type of anti-VEGF drug called a monoclonal antibody developed for the treatment of cancer (which also depends upon angiogenesis for disease progression). Avastin is the molecule from which Lucentis is derived. Some Retinal Specialists treat wet AMD patients with Avastin which has been diluted and repackaged to be injected directly into the eye. Since Avastin injections seem to be similar to Lucentis in how well they treat wet AMD, some Retinal Specialists use Avastin because it is significantly less expensive than Lucentis. Avastin 1.25 mg injections can be given monthly or less often, on a schedule determined by the Retinal Specialist.

Since Avastin has not been approved by the FDA to be used in the eye, the U.S. National Institutes of Health conducted a clinical trial called the Comparison of AMD Treatment Trial (CATT) study for about 1,200 people with wet AMD. The CATT study compared the safety and effectiveness of Avastin 1.25 mg injections with Lucentis 0.5 mg injections. To date, only one year of results are available. The study found that Avastin injections on the same dosing schedule as Lucentis were similar in effectiveness. The common side effects of the two drugs were similar. People treated with Avastin had more serious side effects in this trial, however, this connection has not been definitively proven.

Serious complications of injections in the eye include endophthalmitis (infection) and retinal detachment.