Animal study suggests bevacizumab is equivalent to ranibizumab for wet AMD, raises possibility of systemic effect

Researchers gave intraocular injections of Lucentis (ranibizumab), Avastin (bevacizumab) or vehicle to two types of transgenic mice. Lucentis and Avastin had similar efficacy at suppressing subretinal neovascularization in rho/VEGF mice but the effect lasted longer with Avastin. In Tet/opsin/VEGF mice, in which human VEGF expression levels are very high and the phenotype is severe, Avastin was more effective. In both models, higher doses or repeated injections of Avastin resulted in a systemic effect.