It has been revealed in a new study that the unauthorized, but cheap drug can significantly reduce the problem of sight loss in older people. The study proved that the drug is "efficient and risk free".

Bevacizumab (Avastin), is a drug presently used and licensed for the treatment of bowel cancer. The study claims that it is far more inexpensive than the presently accepted drug ranibizumab (Lucentis), which is used for the prevention of wet age related macular degeneration or AMD.

Generally, the older people gradually tend to lose sight and the reason is progressive loss of light responsive cells at the back of the eye. This denegation is due to "abnormal and leaking" blood vessels.

However, this damage does not result in complete blindness, but it creates difficulty in reading, driving or other things that need a "fine, sharp, central vision".

In the study, about 131 patients, all more than 50 years of age, were examined for wet AMD. They were then treated using the drug and the "visual acuity" was evaluated.

It was then found that 32% of patients who were given bevacizumab acquired more than 15 letters from baseline visual acuity, as compared to the 3% treated with normal drug.

The researchers also claimed that bevacizumab was also found to be resulting in fewer side effects.