Lucentis vs. Avastin: What You Should Know

You may wonder if Lucentis or Avastin is available as a biosimilar.

Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.

To find out if Lucentis or Avastin is available as a biosimilar, see the list below.

• Lucentis:
  • Available as a biosimilar: Yes
  • Active ingredient*: ranibizumab
• Avastin:
  • Available as a biosimilar: Yes
  • Active ingredient: bevacizumab

It’s important to note that it’s not known if the biosimilars for Avastin are safe for use as an eye injection. If you’ve been prescribed Lucentis or Avastin and are interested in using the biosimilar version instead, talk with your doctor to learn more.

* An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.

Lucentis and Avastin are prescription drugs that may be used to treat certain eye conditions. Lucentis was made for this purpose and is FDA-approved. You can read about the original studies in the Lucentis prescribing information.

Avastin was originally made and approved to treat certain cancers. Those studies are included in Avastin’s prescribing information. And although Avastin is not FDA-approved for use in the eye, once the FDA approves a drug, doctors may use it for other purposes. This is called off-label use.

Your ophthalmologist (eye medical doctor) may prescribe Avastin off-label for treatment of certain eye conditions. This is because Avastin blocks vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). And too much VEGF in the eye contributes to these eye problems.

The table below shows the conditions that each drug is used to treat. Uses included in the original studies have checkmarks (✓). Off-label uses are also shown.

The table may not include all uses of these drugs. To learn more about using Lucentis or Avastin for your condition, talk with your doctor.

* FDA is an abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration.

Both Avastin and Lucentis are prescribed to treat several conditions, but this section will focus on an eye condition commonly treated by these drugs: macular degeneration. To learn more about the dosages for other conditions these drugs treat, see the dosage articles for Lucentis and Avastin.

Dosage for wet age-related macular degeneration

Here’s an overview of the dosage and how you’ll typically receive Lucentis and Avastin for treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration. But your doctor will determine the right dosage for you.

Strengths and doses are listed in milligrams (mg), milliliters (mL), and milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL).

* A compounding pharmacy is a special facility where pharmacists prepare custom medications.
† The drug’s manufacturer doesn’t provide dosage recommendations for off-label uses. Your doctor will determine your dose. The dose listed is commonly reported in studies of the drug for this use.

Your eye doctor will inject the drug into your eye. The injection is usually performed in your doctor’s office under topical anesthesia with eye numbing drops.

Lucentis and Avastin may cause side effects ranging from mild to serious. The lists below include examples of side effects that may occur following an eye injection with one of these drugs.

For Lucentis, side effect reports are available in its prescribing information. For Avastin, information about side effects has been provided by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

For more information on possible side effects following injection of Lucentis, see the this article. And for information about side effects caused by Avastin when prescribed to treat cancer, see this article.

Mild side effects

Lucentis and Avastin eye injections share similar mild side effects:

• eye floaters
• feeling like something is in the eye
• itchy or dry eye
• increased tearing
• eye redness*
• eye pain*
• light sensitivity*
• temporary blurry vision*

This list doesn’t include all mild side effects of these drugs. Talk with your doctor to learn more about possible side effects from Lucentis and Avastin.

* If you develop any of these symptoms, contact your doctor. They may be early symptoms of a more serious side effect.

Serious side effects

In addition to the mild side effects described above, serious side effects may occur in people receiving Lucentis or Avastin. Lucentis and Avastin eye injections have similar serious side effects, including:

• increased pressure in the eye
• detached retina
• blood clots, which may lead to a stroke or heart attack
• endophthalmitis (infection or inflammation inside your eye)
• cataract
• allergic reaction

To learn more about your risk of serious side effects from Lucentis or Avastin, talk with your doctor.

Get answers to some frequently asked questions about Lucentis and Avastin.

How do Lucentis and Avastin compare with Eylea?

Lucentis, Avastin, and Eylea (aflibercept) are similar drugs, with some differences as well.

Eylea, Lucentis, and Avastin are all anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs. They work in similar ways to treat your eye condition.

They’re all used to treat similar eye problems, too. Examples include wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular edema. They’re each given as an injection into the eye by an ophthalmologist (eye medical doctor).

One difference is that Avastin isn’t approved for these uses. But it’s frequently prescribed off-label as an eye injection. The small dose you’ll need will be prepared by a pharmacist in a compounding pharmacy*. Eylean and Lucentis are already packaged to be given as eye injections.

To learn more about how these drugs compare, talk with your doctor.

* A compounding pharmacy is a special facility where pharmacists prepare custom medications.

Is Lucentis a better treatment option than Avastin or vice versa?

Lucentis and Avastin are both used to treat certain eye problems, including macular degeneration. Studies of Lucentis and Avastin have shown that the drugs are similarly effective for this use.

But Lucentis and Avastin do have some differences, including differences in cost and how they’re packaged.

If you’re considering treatment with Lucentis or Avastin, talk with your doctor. Ask whether one of these drugs may be a better option for you.

You may wonder whether Lucentis or Avastin are effective for your condition.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology considers both drugs to be equally effective. It doesn’t distinguish between these two anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs in its preferred practice guidelines for the treatment of:

• age-related macular degeneration
• macular edema after retinal vein occlusion
• diabetic retinopathy and macular edema

Talk with your doctor about whether one of these drugs is right for you.

Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering these drugs.

What you’ll pay for either drug will depend on factors including your treatment plan and health insurance. It may also depend on the cost of the visit to your doctor to receive doses of Lucentis or Avastin.

Lucentis and Avastin are both available in biosimilar versions. Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs. Biosimilars tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.

Biosimilars for Lucentis have been studied for use in the eye. Avastin’s biosimilars have been studied to treat certain cancers.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about the cost and biosimilars of Lucentis and Avastin.

Lucentis and Avastin may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. These may be referred to as warnings.

The two drugs share similar warnings for use in the eye. Some of these warnings are mentioned below. Before you start using Lucentis or Avastin, be sure to talk with your doctor to see if these warnings apply to you.

Before using Lucentis or Avastin, talk with your doctor if any of the following conditions or health factors apply to you.

• if you have increased eye pressure
• if you have an eye infection
• if you have a history of heart attack or stroke
• if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant
• if you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
• if you’ve had an allergic reaction to either drug or any of its ingredients

To learn more about these drugs, see the in-depth articles on Lucentis and Avastin.

The short answer: It’s possible.

Details: Talk with your doctor if you’re interested in switching from Lucentis to Avastin or vice-versa to treat your eye condition. Each drug is usually given once per month. Your doctor can provide information about whether changing drugs would be a good choice for you.

Reminder: You should not stop your current treatment unless your doctor recommends it.

Lucentis and Avastin are prescription drugs that may be used for certain eye conditions. Both drugs are given as an injection into your eye by an ophthalmologist (an eye medical doctor).

Talk with your doctor if you have additional questions about Lucentis and Avastin. Some examples to get you started include:

• How will you determine whether Lucentis, Avastin, or another drug is the best treatment for my eye condition?
• How long will it take for my condition to improve after I start treatment?
• If I have side effects from Lucentis or Avastin, is it worth switching to try the other drug instead?

To learn more about Lucentis or Avastin, see these articles:

• All About Lucentis
• All About Avastin
• Side Effects of Lucentis: What You Need to Know

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.