Novartis 'bullied' doctors to drop trial of cheaper drugs
Drug firm accused of trying to block clinical trials of an eye drug which doctors say could save the NHS £100m
A pharmaceutical company has tried to block publically-funded trials into an alternative drug, according to the country's leading medical journal.
Novartis has been accused of bullying researchers into dropping clinical trials of the drug Avastin, which doctors believe could be a cheap and effective treatment for a serious eye condition.
Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common eye conditions, affecting 26,000 people in the UK each year, according to the BBC. If left untreated, it can lead to partial blindness.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The drug currently licensed to treat the condition is Lucentis, which costs the NHS around £740 per dose. However, preliminary trials have shown that Avastin is just as effective at treating AMD and is significantly cheaper at £50 and £65 per dose. Both drugs are owned by the same company, but Lucentis is marketed by Novartis.
The British Medical Journal claims that clinicians with links to Novartis attempted to persuade doctors to drop one trial and "derail" another. The trial's lead researcher also said he was offered the prospect of future funds for personal research projects if he left the trial, the Daily Telegraph reports.
"Doctors and academics have carried out clinical trials despite threats and intimidation – and doctors' leaders should follow suit and not allow themselves to be bullied either," said the journal's editor-in-chief Dr Fiona Godlee.
Novartis has denied the claims, insisting it is "committed to high standards of ethical business conduct".
Although not licensed to treat the eye condition, doctors continue to prescribe Avastin to patients as a cheaper alternative. Last year, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists requested that the drug be made available to treat AMD, saying it could save the NHS £100m.
Godlee said that the "web of misinformation" about drug prescriptions is costing the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds a year "by scaring doctors from using cheap and effective medicines."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 18, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - impeachment Peanuts, record-breaking temperatures, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Martha's Rule: patients given right to urgent second opinion
The Explainer Hospitals in England will launch new scheme that will allow access to a rapid treatment review
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The contaminated blood scandal
The Explainer Widely regarded as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, the public inquiry is due to publish its report in May
By The Week UK Published
-
Can Britain's dental crisis be fixed?
The Explainer New proposals include more money for dentists working in under-served areas
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Babylon Health: the failed AI wonder app that 'dazzled' politicians
The Explainer Demise of UK tech start-up is a cautionary tale for politicians seeking quick fixes to complicated problems
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Surgery faces ‘MeToo moment’ as female staff assaulted while operating
Two-thirds of women surgeons claim to have been sexually harassed and a third alleged assaults
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
What does UK’s first womb transplant mean for future of fertility?
Today's Big Question Procedure could be offered more widely including to transgender people
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
The NHS plan for virtual wards to beat winter crisis
feature Patients with respiratory infections to be given wearable devices that allow doctors to monitor them at home
By The Week Staff Published
-
The NHS at 75: can it make it to 100?
feature The NHS is facing almost unprecedented challenges, but support for the institution remains strong with the public
By Sorcha Bradley Published