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Hello {{First Name|there}},
This month, we're highlighting a milestone in angiogenesis medicine.
For nearly 20 years, ophthalmologists have treated wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with bevacizumab, despite the drug never being FDA-approved specifically for use in the eye.
→ This month, the FDA approved LYTENAVA (bevacizumab-vikg), the first ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab specifically indicated for wet AMD.
What do cancer and wet age-related macular degeneration have in common?
The Same Biology, Different Disease
Bevacizumab was first approved in 2004 to treat metastatic colorectal cancer.
It works by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that stimulates angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. In cancer, tumors hijack VEGF to build the blood supply they need to grow. Researchers later discovered that this same pathway also drives the abnormal blood vessel growth seen in wet AMD.
In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina. These fragile vessels leak fluid and blood into the macula, the part of the eye responsible for sharp central vision. By blocking VEGF, bevacizumab slows this abnormal blood vessel growth, helping preserve vision and reduce retinal swelling.
Why Is This Approval Significant?
Although several anti-VEGF therapies are already FDA-approved for wet AMD, bevacizumab has remained one of the most widely used treatments because it provides similar clinical outcomes for many patients at a substantially lower cost.
But, bevacizumab was originally approved as an intravenous cancer therapy, not an ophthalmic drug. To use it for wet AMD, specialized compounding pharmacies prepared small sterile syringes from larger oncology vials for injection into the eye.
For more than 20 years, physicians were using it off-label. LYTENAVA changes that. It is the first bevacizumab formulation developed, manufactured, and FDA-approved specifically for ophthalmic use in wet AMD. Ultimately, this is a positive step forward in bringing FDA-approved medicine to patients at a price they can afford.
Best wishes,
- The Angiogenesis Foundation
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