Disturbing News about Avastin vs Lucentis Trial

I have just posted an update on the ongoing Avastin vs Lucentis battle.
Editors from Executive Laser Report (my former newsletter, now
published by Trends in Medicine) learned at the recent American Academy
of Ophthalmology meeting in Las Vegas, that some pharmaceutical and
device companies are allegedly attempting to stop or prevent the
recently announced head-to-head clinical trial of Avastin vs Lucentis
for treating age-related macular degeneration, sponsored by NEI/NIH.
The story is published in the November 30th issue of Executive Laser
Report.

I have received permission to reprint the story.
For all of the details, please take a look at my web Journal posting:

Avastin/Lucentis Update 9: A Disturbing Report about the Upcoming Trial
Between Avastin and Lucentis (December 2006)

http://irvaronsjournal.blogspot.com/2006/12/avastinlucentis-update-9-disturbing.html

Irv Arons

 

Sorry for the double posting -- the first one didn't appear to take.

Irv Arons

 

Disturbing, Irv? Unexpected? Ya think "big pharm" is going to sit by
and watch some do-good public benefit scientists or the government mess
around with their multi billion dollar profits? Kind of sets a bad
precedent, don't you think? Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they
simply *bought* the NEI and paid off the NIH. Or did they already do
that?

Not everyone with NV AMD has health insurance or medicare and for those
folks, the difference in cost between the two drugs is ENORMOUS. For
those that do, the cost to the medicare/medicaid system will be HUGE.
And guess who ultimately pays?

Yeah. Disturbing.

LB