(AP) -
The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors that a compounding pharmacy is recalling dozens of lots of the Roche drug Avastin after receiving reports of eye infections among patients.
The FDA says Clinical Specialties of Martinez, Georgia has received five reports of eye infections from physicians who used the drug to treat macular degeneration.
The lots of Avastin was distributed to doctors' offices in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana.
Avastin is approved as a cancer drug, but it contains the same active ingredient as Lucentis, another Roche drug approved for macular degeneration.
For years, compounding pharmacies have repackaged Avastin into small vials for use by eye doctors.
Repackaged injections of Avastin cost about $50 dollars, compared with $2,000 dollars for Lucentis.
