Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

>off-label Avastin is becoming a much more utilized treatment of choice and it's MUCH more economical than any other process in play right now<

I still think Avastin will become a non-factor once Lucentis is approved, despite the price differential.

Who, exactly, benefits, when a doctor gives someone Avastin instead of Lucentis? Not the doctor, who is reimbursed regardless (and no longer earns a substantial markup on in-clinic drugs as in the old days).

Not the patient; almost all patients with AMD are covered by Medicare or private insurance. Any saving a patient might get from a reduced co-payment for Avastin vs Lucentis would be more than offset by the risk that the injection procedure itself might not be fully covered for an unapproved use of Avastin.

In short, the only parties who stand to benefit significantly from Avastin relative to Lucentis are the third-party payers, and they won’t be the ones making the treatment decisions.