UK Court Ruling Ends Novartis/Bayer Crusade Against Avastin In AMD

Off-Label Use Does Not Undermine Licensing System

AMD patients in the UK can legitimately be given compounded bevacizumab (Roche’s Avastin) after the appeals court said NHS trusts could offer a drug off-label for economic reasons where there were no safety or efficacy concerns. 

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Avastin can be given off-label for AMD by injection into the eye • Source: Shutterstock

The Court of Appeal for England and Wales has ruled that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) can offer Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab) to patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, even though it is not licensed for that indication.

In doing so the court has finally put an end to a long-running effort by Novartis and Bayer to prevent Avastin, which is approved as an anticancer drug, from being...

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