NICE asked to consider bevacizumab for AMD

NICE is reconsidering its advice on the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

    NICE has recommended ranibizumab for AMD; the only brand licensed for this indication is Lucentis, which costs approximately £10 000 per eye. However, there is evidence that the cheaper parent compound bevacizumab (Avastin) is also effective and some NHS trusts are already using it to treat AMD even though it is currently licensed only for certain cancers and not formulated for intravitreal injection.
    Breaking with the custom of appraising only licensed products, the Department of Health has asked NICE to consider how to appraise the unlicensed product for AMD.