Every year more than 250,000 patients are treated for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Well, this leading cause of blindness in U.K. can now be treated, or at least the following piece of information suggests so. A groundbreaking study by the Emory University claims that the drugs Avastin and Lucentis are equally effective in treating AMD.
A two-year national clinical trial was conducted for evaluating the efficacy of both the drugs for tackling AMD. In the first year of the trial, the drug Avastin (bevacizumab) known to treat some cancers was found to supposedly fight AMD. The Lucentis (ranibizumab) reportedly gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration for effectively battling the condition.
Both the medications allegedly were equally beneficial in the battle against AMD. In conclusion, it was asserted that doctors treating patients with AMD can possibly employ these drugs. Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD, director of the NEI and colleagues believe that the study findings have profound implications in the medical world.
The study was published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.