Eye patients treated with Avastin face increased risk of stroke.

Eye patients undergoing treatment with Avastin face an increased risk of stroke or death compared to patients who are treated with Lucentis. Medicare data was analyzed by Johns Hopkins University and presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology conference in May 2011. The analysis revealed that Avastin increased the risk of early death by 11 percent and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by 57 percent compared with Lucentis. Currently, Avastin is prescribed "off-label" for the treatment of wet macular degeneration while Lucentis is the only FDA approved wet macular degeneration treatment. Lucentis is $2,000 per injection compared to $50 per injection for Avastin. A recent study found that Avastin is just as effective in treating the condition as Lucentis. The increased risks associated with the use of Avastin emphasize the need for doctors to balance efficacy and safety when considering the proper treatment for their patients.* Elise Ervin Staff Writer