ClotCare: Blood Clots, Stroke, Heart Attack
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Home   |   DVT/PE   |   Blood Clots   |   Coumadin/Warfarin   |   New Patients   |   Self Testing   |   Email List   |   Donate

Pick a Topic:

Find info on a:

We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the HON Foundation. Click to verify.
ClotCare complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.

ClotCare is a member of the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT Coalition)  ClotCare is a member organization of the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis. Click here to learn more about the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and DVT Awareness Month, which is held each March.

Ranibizumab (brand name Lucentis) associated with an increased incidence of stroke

Henry I. Bussey, Pharm.D., FCCP, FAHA
April, 2007

Physician's first watch, a service of Journal Watch at http://firstwatch.jwatch.org/, recently summarized new data on the risk of stroke with a new medication used to prevent loss of vision in one form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). According to the FDA, wet-type AMD accounts for 10% of all AMD but causes about 80% of the associated vision loss (http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01405.html). The problem - and resultant loss of vision - results from the formation of additional leaky blood vessels. Ranibizumab has anti-angiogenesis effects that inhibit the formation of new blood vessels and has been shown to result in maintenance of vision in 95% of patients compared to 60% of those receiving sham (placebo) injections. In a dear doctor letter in January, 2007 (http://www.gene.com/gene/products/
information/pdf/healthcare-provider-letter.pdf
) the manufacturer, Genentech, reported an interim analysis of a safety study in which 1.2% of patients receiving the 0.5 mg dose and 0.3% of those receiving the 0.3 mg dose experienced a stroke at a mean follow-up of 230 days of treatment; a statistically significant difference (p = 0.02). Further safety analysis is expected later this year. As pointed out previously by Journal Watch (http://firstwatch.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2006/705/4), the use of ranibizumab has sparked public controversy because some physicians have been using bevacizumab (brand name Avastin) - another drug that inhibits growth of blood vessels - off label (without FDA approval) to treat wet AMD because they believe that it works just as well but costs substantially less ($17 per monthly injection of bevacizumab vs. $1,950 per monthly injection of ranibizumab). Both drugs are made by Genentech.

Ask a question about blood clots or anticoagulant medications Have questions? Ask ClotCare. Send questions by email to webmaster@clotcare.org.

ClotCare is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization generously supported by your tax-deductible donations and grants from our industry supporters.

Blood Clot Activities Calendar

New Postings:

Click here to view full list of new postings
ClotCare Home | New Postings | Patient Postings | Clinician Postings | Join Our Email List | Useful Web Links
CE Opportunities | Training Programs | DVT & PE Stories | Editorial Board | Financial Support
About ClotCare | DVT Coalition | Donate to ClotCare | Contact Us
Key topics discussed on ClotCare include: Blood Clots | Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) | Pulmonary Embolism (PE) | Atrial Fibrillation (A. Fib or AF) | Heart Attack | Stroke | Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) | Mini Stroke | Bleeding Complications | Vascular Surgery | Surgical Blood Clot Removal | Warfarin | Coumadin | Lovenox | Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) | Heparin | Anticoagulants | Plavix | Aspirin | Antiplatelets | Blood Thinners
Copyright 2000-2018 by ClotCare. All rights reserved.
Terms, Conditions, & Privacy | Image Copyright Information
19260 Stone Oak Parkway, Suite 101 | San Antonio, TX 78258 | 210-860-0487
Send comments to webmaster@clotcare.org.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024