A "MIRACLE DRUG" that saved the eyesight of a grandmother from Chorleywood is not supported by West Hertfordshire PCT, because it does not have a clean bill of health.

Avastin is more commonly used to fight cancer but has become a popular treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - the most common form of blindness.

However, it is unlicensed and no clinical trials have been carried out to determine the correct dosage or long term effects of the drug when used to correct eyesight.

Mary Latimer, 69, was diagnosed with AMD in May 2004, after she was sent to Moorfields Hospital by her optician. Doctors found she had the wet, treatable form of the condition in her left eye and she feared the worst.

"I was pretty sure I was going to go blind," she said.

"They were saying there wasn't much they could treat it with."

Mary, a former estate agent from Wyatt's Close, was on a list of patients to be given macugen treatment but funding for the scheme was refused.

She said: "They wouldn't even pay for it for people on the point of going blind. That's extremely frustrating."

Then in September 2005, Mary discovered wet AMD had spread to her right eye, so decided to book "the trip of a lifetime" and see whales in Alaska before she went blind.

Days before her trip, however, she made an appointment with Peter Hamilton, who uses Avastin to treat people suffering from AMD.

After returning from Alaska, Mary met Mr Hamilton at The London Clinic and on June 22, 2006, she had her first Avastin injection.

Hours later, she realised her sight had improved when she noticed the seats on the London Underground were covered in blue material.

Mary has had two Avastin injections, and several angiograms, at a cost of £2,600 to her health insurers and says regaining her sight has been "a huge joy and a blessing".

She added: "For the sake of a small cost to the NHS to save a person's eyesight, I think it's short sighted of the NHS not to pay."

Heather Gray, head of pharmacy and medicines management at West Herts PCT, said there was a dilemma about using Avastin to cure AMD, because it was an unlicensed drug.

She said: "It's difficult for the PCT because we do not have a policy of investing in products that do not have a licence.

"Every PCT is going through a dilemma with it.

"Locally, we're saying the drug looks good but we need to find out who are the patients most likely to benefit and establish how funding streams will follow."