New Drug For Macular Degeneration Setting Sales Records
The new drug treatment for macular degeneration Eyelea is racing past all projections for its sales since its release in Nov 2011. The first six weeks were announced to have around $25,000,000.00 worth of the drug sold for injection into the eye. That is about 500 people per day receiving injections of Eyelea for the last 6 weeks.
Is This A New Wonder Eye Treatment Or Really That Much Better?
The primary advantage for patients with Eyelea is the recommended treatment cycle is every two months versus the monthly injection for Avastin or Lucentis. No one is in a rush to have a shot into the eye so that is a very strong selling point. The true reason for the unexpected surge in sales probably has little to do with the frequency of injections or how Eyelea is seen to perform. The most likely cause is a small number of cases of Avastin infections that occurred inside eyes after treatment in the second half of 2011. Compared to the cost of Lucentis and Eyelea Avastin is dirt cheap ($50 compared to $1700 TO $1800 per injection). Avastin does not come in single vials like Eyelea and Lucentis, and there is the potential for contamination when it is transferred to unit doses. Since one company (Genetech) manufactures both Avastin & Lucentis it is not expected that Avastin will be retested for on lable use in macular degeneration and marketed as a single vial drug.
What is The Future For Eyelea?
Eyelea is expected to take over about 10% of the market for eye injection treatment of macular degeneration in 2012. As the shadow falls off of Avastin, I expect it to return to popularity due to the cost and higher oversight over repackaging. Genetech is working on a new device to allow delivery into a port without frequent injections, but that appears a way off in the future. Topical eye drops for macular degeneration are expected to enter the market within the next year. Eyelea probably won’t exceed expectations anywhere near the initial release results, but it should do well. Don’t feel like you need to rush out and change the type of treatment you are currently receiving. Eyelea probably won’t treat macular degeneration any better than existing drugs. On the other hand, if the thought of frequent shots in the eye are keeping you from seeking treatment ask about Eyelea, it just might save your sight.




