Roche Holding AG's Avastin Treatment Effective for Blindness in Study

Bloomberg -- Roche Holding AG (ROG)’s Avastin was as effective as the company’s more costly Lucentis for treating the most common cause of blindness in the elderly, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients given Avastin, a cancer drug not approved for the disease, had a similar improvement in vision as those given Lucentis, which was developed for the condition known as wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. Vision improved by 8 lines on an eye chart for patients given Avastin, compared with 8.5 lines for those on Lucentis, the study found.

The study, dubbed CATT, validates an approach doctors crafted five years ago when they had few ways to treat the condition caused when blood vessels in the eye leak and damage the macula. Avastin will continue to lead the market for macular degeneration, researchers said, potentially shrinking the space for costly brand name drugs like Lucentis and an experimental therapy from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) and Bayer AG. (BAYN)