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NHS could save ‘hundreds of millions a year’ after High Court slaps pharma companies down
Sam Tobin is at the High Court
“At local level, it’s different."
THE NHS could save “hundreds of millions of pounds” a year after 12 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) won a landmark legal fight to use an equally effective and significantly cheaper sight-saving drug.
Pharmaceutical giants Bayer and Novartis took the CCGs to the High Court after they decided to start treating wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — the leading cause of vision loss — with anti-cancer drug Avastin.
The companies — which market rival, licensed drugs Eylea and Lucentis — argued it was unlawful for the CCGs to use Avastin because it is not licensed for the treatment of wet AMD.
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