Novartis explains its use of judicial review

Pharmaceutical firm Novartis said its decision to file for a judicial review of a local primary care trust policy (News 27.04.12) was in part to protect clinicians being pressured to use a product.

Novartis has called for the Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth (SHIP) PCT Cluster Board to revoke its recent policy on wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Since September 2011, ophthalmologists in the trust have been able to prescribe Avastin (bevacizumab) for AMD patients, which it deemed as cost-effective, under funding by the NHS. This has been in addition to the option of prescribing Novartis' Lucentis (ranibizumab) drug, the only licensed and NICE approved treatment for the condition in the UK.