Bayer and Novartis Lose Lawsuit Against NHS Over Switch to Cheaper Eye Drug

Bayer and Novartis lost a U.K. High Court case after challenging twelve NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that adopted a policy to offer wet age-related macular degeneration  (wet AMD) patients a cheaper alternative to the companies’ Lucentis and Eylea products.

The CCGs — NHS bodies responsible for health care services for their local area — successfully defended their decision to offer certain wet AMD patients Roche’s less expensive Avastin (bevacizumab) as the preferred treatment option.

The anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment costs around $37, while Novartis’ Lucentis (ranibizumab) costs roughly $723 and Bayer’s Eylea (aflibercept) costs about $1,070.