EDMONTON — The Alberta government has announced a new pilot project that it says will provide more treatment options for Albertans suffering from vision loss, and save patients approximately $300 every year.
Albertans will be able to choose treatment with either Lucentis or Avastin, both of which treat age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, retinal vein occlusion and other retinal conditions as of Thursday.
Under the program, the Alberta government will cover the cost of Avastin to prevent vision loss.
The will be no co-payment for patients under the program, which will save seniors $25 per injection, or $300 per year for most patients.
“Replacing Lucentis with Avastin could save government an estimated $23 to $46 million over three years,” said Health Minister Sarah Hoffman.
However, the Canadian Council of the Blind is concerned about Avastin because in Canada it isn’t approved for eye conditions, it’s a cancer drug.
“Drugs that are off-label have not been tested and therefore we don’t know all the potential side effects of what of what can happen with the use of this drug,” said Louise Gillis with the Canadian Council of the Blind.
Dr. Matthew Tennant, a retina specialist, maintains Avastin is safe. He said retinal specialists were using Avastin for years before Lucentis, which was made for macular degeneration, hit the market.
“Both medications are equally efficacious, which means they work just as well,” said Tennant. “And most recently it’s been shown that actually both are just as safe.”
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The CNIB email the following statement to Global News:
“It’s encouraging to see that the government of Alberta understands the need to expand ophthalmic supports to patients who need it. At the same time, we need to monitor any policy changes to make sure they are being made for all the right reasons.”
Patients will also be able to receive treatment directly from their doctors, simplifying their access to treatments.
As part of the three-year research pilot project, the province will pay retinal specialists $104 per injection of either drug to cover safety monitoring and data collection costs.
“That’s what my concern is,” said Gillis. “Should physicians be gaining money and patients possibly losing eyesight?”
Tennant said in other provinces there have been incentives for the use of Avastin, but that is not the case in Alberta.
An estimated 7,000 Albertans will be eligible to participate in the pilot project, based on advice from their physicians.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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