Authors' recommendations: Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in Canada. Recent advances in treatment of this disease have for the first time provided promise that clinicians might reverse the progression of vision loss seen in AMD, along with the consequent disability. Recent work by CADTH has shown that treatment with ranibizumab does not meet standards of cost-effectiveness typically accepted by Canadian health authorities, but only at the margin. We have shown here that if such a less frequent dosing schedule were employed (and directed by the results of OCT testing), that treatment with ranibizumab would dominate both PDT and pegaptanib strategies. However, policy makers are cautioned that the evidence to support the efficacy of this strategy is very weak. We have also shown that treatment of patients with AMD using bevacizumab dominates treatment with ranibizumab, assuming that the efficacy of bevacizumab is similar to that seen with ranibizumab, and has a similar side effect profile. Again, this is a strong assumption upon which to base our modeling strategy, where there is little evidence to support the strategy.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/htis/L0026%20Pharmacological%20Management%20in%20AMD%20final.pdf

Year Published: 2009

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553; Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)