Further support for bevacizumab to treat age-related macular degeneration

摘要

Further evidence to support the use of bevacizumab as an alternative to ranibizumab for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration has emerged. However, an expert in the field advises waiting for head-to-head trial data before further off-label use. A multicentre randomised controlled trial published online in the BMJ (10 June 2010) enrolled 131 patients in three English eye centres to evaluate the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Patients were randomised to bevacizumab or standard NHS care ?but the study did not compare the drug with ranibizumab, which is currendy used to treat the condition, because ranibizumab was not licensed at the outset of the trial.