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Post by jeffolie on Sept 2, 2011 10:34:13 GMT -6
More eye patients go blind after Avastin injections September 2, 2011 There's another cluster of eye infections, some causing blindness, in patients using Avastin for macular degeneration. This time, the cases cropped up at a Veterans Affairs facility in Los Angeles; 5 people who were injected with Avastin lost vision in the treated eye. The Genentech cancer drug isn't approved for use in the eye. But ophthalmologists have turned to it as a cheaper alternative to Genentech's Lucentis drug for wet age-related macular degeneration. It costs around $50 per injection, compared with $2,000 or so for the purpose-built drug.... more... www.fiercepharma.com/story/more-eye-patients-go-blind-after-avastin-injections/2011-09-02
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Post by unlawflcombatnt on Sept 2, 2011 10:57:16 GMT -6
Infections can always occur from injections. If infections truly are increased due to this drug specifically, it suggests there's contamination in the drug's containers themselves, or that it's being injected under suboptimally sterile conditions.
I'm really skeptical of reports like this, since the manufacturer of Avastin's competitor-Roche Laboratories-has financed some of the studies showing the alleged danger of Avastin.
Avastin doesn't appear to be an immunosuppressant, so there should be no direct cause of infection from the drug itself.
Personally, I'd really like to see a ban on Drug companies testing their competitors' drugs, in order to "prove" that they're either dangerous or not effective.
The conflict of interest is obvious.
So is the profit motive.
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Post by graybeard on Sept 2, 2011 11:55:44 GMT -6
"Personally, I'd really like to see a ban on Drug companies testing their competitors' drugs, in order to "prove" that they're either dangerous or not effective." "The conflict of interest is obvious." "So is the profit motive."
Same goes for drug companies testing their own products.
ALL drugs have side effects. Most are addictive. Some may help the ailment.
GB
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Post by unlawflcombatnt on Sept 2, 2011 12:37:49 GMT -6
Same goes for drug companies testing their own products. I would tend to agree with that, except that someone has to pay for the testing. I don't want to pay for a drug company's testing. And there actually is a lot Federal regulation on just how these initial tests must be performed. Absolutely right on the money. There is a very limited number of drugs that actually work well. Most drugs on the market have dubious, if any, real benefits.
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