DERBYSHIRE health experts are challenging national chiefs

and backing a drug they believe could save the NHS millions of

pounds and the sight of thousands of people.

Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust says the NHS could save

the sight of about 26,000 eye disease sufferers a year and

itself an estimated £78m annually by using Avastin.

The trust has been consulted on plans to introduce a

sight-saving drug called ranibizumab, commonly known as

Lucentis, but says the cheaper alternative should be

considered.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

(NICE), the independent body that regulates NHS drug use in the

UK, says Lucentis is the best treatment for condition called

wet macular degeneration, which causes 26,000 older people to

go blind each year.

Patients only become eligible for treatment with Lucentis on

the NHS when they have already lost sight in one eye, in a bid

to save the sight in the other.

NICE wants to change the rules so people can have it as soon

as they are diagnosed.

But experts from the Derbyshire trust claim Avastin could do

the same job at a fraction of the cost and have appealed.

Both Avastin and Lucentis can be injected straight into a

patient's eye, and work by stopping changes in the blood

vessels at the back of the eyeball.

But Avastin is used in the UK as a cancer drug and not

licensed to treat sight problems, despite being used against

macular degeneration in other parts of the world.

Richard Richards, director of public health for the trust,

said: “There are a number of very technical points in our

appeal, but Lucentis is a very expensive drug and we have

concerns over the clinical trials NICE is basing its evidence

on. We think Avastin should be considered.

“A single treatment with Lucentis costs about £700, compared

to just £60 for an injection of Avastin.

"Including the cost of running clinics, we estimate Lucentis

could cost about £5,000 a year per patient, and Avastin £2,000.

So it's a saving of roughly £3,000 per patient.”

When NICE introduces new guidelines, a UK primary care trust

is chosen at random to review them, which is how the Derbyshire

trust became involved.

The results of the appeal are expected on Monday.

NICE can either review its proposals, or overturn the appeal

and bring the new guidelines into force.

Harry Ratner is a former member of Derby's patient and

public involvement forum.

He said: “The Derby trust is right. Avastin would be a lot

cheaper for the NHS, and I have been campaigning for it to be

licensed for use in this way.

“However Lucentis is still needed by lots of people in Derby

who are losing their sight, so I hope NICE approves its

use.”

Derbyshire Association for the Blind said it hoped

visually-impaired were being kept up to date with information

on the topic.