Cancer Drug Avastin may cause Eye Infections According to FDA, Used to Treat Macular Degeneration

Avastin, a cancer drug marketed by Roche Holding AG, has been linked to a recall, with federal regulators stating that the syringes made by a Georgia compounding pharmacy may be linked to eye infections.

Some companies repackage the drug into smaller units to treat macular degeneration, also known as a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of your field of vision, according to the MayoClinic.

One of the pharmacies, Clinical Specialties of Augusta, Ga., recalled a series of Avastin syringes this week after receiving reports of five eye infections.

The product was distributed to doctors' offices in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana from Dec. 18 until the present. Clinical Specialties notified affected doctors' offices by phone, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which posted a recall notice on its website on Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"The product has or potentially could result in an infection within the eye," the FDA said.

Roche has long warned against the unapproved use of Avastin in the eyes, and the company markets a similar drug called Lucentis that was specifically designed and approved for use in the eyes. However, some eye doctors use Avastin because a much smaller dose is needed compared with that required for a cancer patient. An injection of repacked Avastin costs about $50, while an injection of Lucentis tops $1,000.

It isn't the first time repacked Avastin syringes have been associated with eye infections. In 2011, the FDA warned about a cluster of serious eye infections in Florida linked to Avastin syringes made by a pharmacy in that state.