Intraocular use of bevacizumab in India: An issue resolved?

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which has been approved for intravenous use in certain cancers. There is evidence of its efficacy and safety as an intravitreal drug compared with ranibizumab and aflibercept. We have, in our practice, found it to be a cost-effective treatment option for ocular diseases, which could save a large amount of public money used in various national health insurance systems. An alert issued by the Drug Controller General of India led to a virtual ban on its intraocular use in India. However, pro-active advocacy and leadership by national ophthalmological societies helped to resolve the issue quickly.