Some ethical considerations for the "off-label" use of drugs such as Avastin

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Abstract
Anyone who has attended ophthalmology conferences recently cannot fail to notice the enthusiasm of retinal specialists in adopting the new treatment, Avastin. Avastin is a humanised monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor: an important growth factor for angiogenesis. The labelled indication of Avastin is for the treatment of colon cancer. Its use in the eye is therefore off label; no robust scientific data exist on its safety and efficacy; all the positive reports have short follow-ups. The clamour to introduce this treatment raises several ethical issues.