Article preview from Medtech Insight - February , 2012
On many fronts, 2011 was an event-filled year for the retinal disease market, beginning with the publication of the CATT trial comparing off-label intravitreal Avastin versus Lucentis for the treatment of AMD, and ending with several important milestones for device manufacturers operating in this space. But while the retinal device field is making progress in many areas, companies continue to struggle to meet shifting FDA approval requirements.
Article preview from Medtech Insight - February , 2012
The last quarter of 2011 witnessed a number of important milestones in the retina device field, including the first commercial implants of two novel products for late-stage retinal disease and failure to win Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a novel drug delivery implant. On the biopharma side, the end of 2011 was highlighted by the FDA approval of an important new treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
An event-filled year in the retina market began with the publication in April 2011 of one-year results from the landmark 1,208-patient, 43-center CATT trial. CATT compared off-label intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab) versus on-label Lucentis (ranibizumab) for the treatment of AMD, and the findings suggested that Avastin offers equivalent safety and efficacy at a fraction of the cost. The cost per injection of Lucentis is $1,950, whereas the cost per injection of Avastin, when portioned into doses that are appropriate for intravitreal injection, is about $50. In the study, both drugs performed well, with 95% of patients showing no progression of vision loss. Both anti-VEGF drugs are manufactured by Genentech Inc./Roche and Lucentis is marketed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp./Novartis AG.
The published results of the CATT trial confirmed what most retina specialists had already believed to be true about the relative efficacy of Avastin and Lucentis for AMD, and these views had already been reflected in actual treatment patterns in the US. According to William L. Rich III, MD, medical director of health policy for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the ratio of Avastin/Lucentis usage in the US was approximately 60%/40% in 2010, versus approximately 58%/42% in 2009. Dr. Rich expects to see a more significant shift toward Avastin when 2011 usage data becomes available in May 2012, driven by results of the CATT trial.
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