To those who have major eye problems like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, Avastin may seem like a helpful drug. However, more and more reports of Avastin eye injection side effects have occurred related to silicone oil in syringes.

Avastin, known generically as bevacizumab, is a cancer drug. It has been prescribed off-label to treat retinal diseases such as macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.

Avastin is a drug that doctors use to slow vision loss by inhibiting abnormal blood vessel growth. The way it works is that abnormal blood vessels, the kind that can cause these retinal problems, need a chemical produced by the body to grow. This chemical is called VEGF. Avastin stops VEGF from being produced.

Avastin is administered to patients via injection. The drug is placed by pharmacists into syringes which are then given to ophthalmologists to use. When Avastin is put into the syringes, the inside of the syringe has already been coated with a silicone oil.

One of the unfortunate causes of Avastin eye injection side effects is that this silicone can seep into the drug itself. The longer time passes from when the syringe is filled by a pharmacist and when the doctor uses the syringe for an injection, there is an increased possibility of silicone leaking into the drug. If the syringe is frozen, there is an even greater possibility.

When the drug is then injected into the eye, the silicone oil can cause many complications.

Avastin Eye Injection Side Effects

Besides the risk of silicone oil contamination, Avastin can cause a myriad of Avastin eye injection side effects. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that these Avastin eye injection side effects include eye infection, detached retina, cataracts, eye redness, extra light sensitivity, eye pain, changes in vision, blurriness, seeing double images and dry or itchy eyes.

If silicone oil is inadvertently transferred into patients’ eyes, it can leave behind silicone floaters which can have disastrous effects. These Avastin eye injection side effects include

• Infection
• Intraocular pressure
• Inflammation
• Retinal tearing or detachment
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma or hypotony (increased or reduced pressure in the eye)
• Corneal damage
• Vision loss

Additionally, Avastin eye injections carry a risk of bacterial infection. The New York Times reported a few years ago that several people reported eye infections and vision loss from Avastin eye injections.

When investigated further, it was noted that Avastin, while not approved to treat eye diseases, is far cheaper than another drug made by the same company, Genentech, that is approved to treat macular degeneration. Avastin is a cancer drug, but has the same mode of action as another drug, Lucentis, that is approved for eye disease.

At the time of reporting, Avastin only cost $50 per injection while Lucentis cost $2,000. For most patients, this is a viable option. However, the bacterial risk comes from the fact that Avastin must be split up into tiny doses, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination.

If you believe you have suffered from Avastin eye injection side effects, you may benefit from speaking to an experienced attorney and may qualify to file a lawsuit.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Avastin silicone injection class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Avastin lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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