Dear Dr. SerVaas,

I have good news to share about a subject dear to my heart--macular degeneration, wet type. In March 2006, my eyes seemed to tire easily while reading. Blinking repeatedly, I looked across the room and discovered a dark image covering a large part of my field of vision.

My optometrist suspected early macular degeneration, and a retinal specialist confirmed the diagnosis the next day. After he explained that the drug Avastin was being used to treat this condition with varying degrees of success, I agreed to receive the injection.

At a return visit in May, the specialist said that the drug seemed to have stopped the progression of the dark spot in its tracks.

I received a second injection in June, and in late July the spot was essentially gone. With blinking, a very small white spot Is visible.

My letter is for the sole purpose of emphasizing the need for early detection and treatment of macular degeneration. Prior to this discovery, several of my friends lost their sight because of the disease.

William Elier
Littleton, Colorado

Many ophthalmologists report that Avastin (bevacizumab) helps slow the growth of abnormal blood vessels in eyes. preserving and even improving vision in people with wet macular degeneration. Avastin is approved for treating colorectal cancer, and safety data on using it for macular degeneration are unavailable.

Recent research shows that Lucentis (ranibizumab), a drug derived from Avastin, is safe and effective for long-term intraocular use. Cleared by the FDA in late 2006, clinical testing of Lucentis shows that 95 percent of study participants who received a monthly injection maintained their vision at 12 months. Lucentis and Avastin are manufactured by Genentech.