NICE reviewing use of Avastin for wet AMD

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is reported to be looking at the use of Avastin for patients at risk from blindness, which is an unlicensed treatment in place of the more expensive, but licensed product, Lucentis.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is reviewing the situation, having made the decision to back Lucentis two years ago. BBC News reported that Richard Smith, vice president of the Royal College of Opthalmologists, described it as: “Simply good house-keeping” given the circumstances.

NICE said it was not expecting to make a decision until next year.