General Information

• The IVAN trial compares: (a) an inexpensive drug (Avastin®, used ‘off-label’) with an expensive licensed drug (Lucentis®), and (b) continuous monthly treatment with reduced frequency of treatment. The investment by the NHS in supporting IVAN represents good value when set against potential savings to the NHS should the less expensive drug, or reduced treatment frequency, be shown to be as effective as the more expensive alternatives.
  
  
• The IVAN trial is funded by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Clinical Trials programme of the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Funding from this source demonstrates that the NHS considers that it is important to have answers to the research questions addressed by the trial.
  
  
• The importance of the trial to the NHS is further demonstrated by the fact that commissioners have committed funding for treatment of their patients in the IVAN trial.
  
  
• The decision to commission the IVAN trial was taken by the HTA after peer review by four independent reviewers and the HTA commissioning board, which includes experts in trial design and statistics. The final study design took into account comments made by the HTA Board at the outline stage.