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Contaminated Avastin Infected Multiple Veteran Patients

Avastin is a cancer drug commonly used to treat macular degeneration, which can eventually cause blindness in older patients. For years, clinicians at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been prescribing Avastin over Lucentis, based on cost. A single dose of Avastin costs $50 whereas a single dose of Lucentis usually costs $2,000, which is a significant difference for those on veterans disability. 

Five veterans were recently blinded from contaminated doses of Avastin at the Los Angeles VA Medical Center. There have been at least two prior incidents where Avastin was directly at fault for causing infections. The first incident involved 4 people and happened in Nashville, TN. One person suffered brain damage and eventually went blind, which spurred a $4 million lawsuit being filed by that person's family. The second incident affected 12 people in Miami, but with that incident none of the patients were blinded.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) subsequently issued a warning against the use of Avastin. The warning was not intended to prevent doctors from using or prescribing the drug. Instead, it was only put out to alert doctors to the contamination existing in the drug.

The 12 infections that happened in Miami were all traced to doses of Avastin originating from a Hollywood, Florida pharmacy. Avastin is often repacked from vials into syringes, which leaves the drug open to contamination. Pharmacies generally take many precautions to prevent against contamination, but occasionally their safeguards are not enough, which is what happened in Miami. 

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.