Avoiding blindness in old age does not require a horror show of drug side effects

Whatever it takes

We’ve all heard it and most of us have said it. “I’d rather get a stick in the eye than…”

Well, it turns out the two leading treatments for macular degeneration are just that. Yes…Lucentis and Avastin, do get injected right into your eye.

And if you’re squeamish like me, you probably winced when you read this. That’s why I decided I was going to do everything I can to avoid ever having that conversation with my doctor!

I’ll fill you in on how in a second, but first let’s take a quick look at Lucentis and Avastin for a sobering reality check. Because believe it or not, “stick in the eye” is not the worst thing you can say about these two medications.

Welcome to 50, Tom

Drug makers specifically developed Lucentis as an AMD medication. Avastin is a popular cancer drug that’s used off-label to treat AMD. Studies have shown that one is about as effective as the other.

But there’s one huge difference between the two. Lucentis costs $2,000 per dose. Avastin costs only $50.

Now, if you’re Tom Cruise (who will turn 50 this year), a monthly Lucentis treatment won’t put a huge dent in your retirement savings. But if you’re like most of us — and make as much in a year as Tom does in a day — you’ll probably want to go with the budget-friendly choice.

But not so fast…

Despite the huge cost difference, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs recently suspended Avastin use for veterans. That’s because the drug may cause serious eye infections that lead to blindness in some patients.

And then there’s this bizarre detail…

Lobbyists for Genentech — the maker of Avastin — went to Washington to make sure Congress knew about a Genentech-funded study. Results showed that Avastin users had an 11 percent higher risk of dying during treatment compared to Lucentis users.

Yes, you read that right. Genentech execs actually went out of their way to share the negative study results. Sound crazy? Yes. Crazy like a Pharma fox. Because Genentech also happens to be the maker of Lucentis.

Ah! Diabolical, isn’t it? Genentech does NOT want lowly Avastin cutting into Lucentis profits. So they threw Avastin under the bus.

Meanwhile, you might actually prefer a bus crash rather than experience Lucentis side effects.

According to the Lucentis website, some users experience eye pain, headaches, and respiratory infections. A few patients have had detached retinas and infections inside the eye. Other risks include “eye- and non-eye-related blood clots (heart attacks, strokes, and death).”

And don’t forget — once a month, they stick it in your eye — and charge you 2 grand for the pleasure!

In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth 300 pounds of cure. Keep reading to see how you can make sure your eye doesn’t end up a statistic…or a very expensive pincushion.

Sources: 
“VA Halts Avastin for Eye Disease Over Infections” Ed Silverman, Pharmalot, 9/21/11, pharmalot.com