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In Touch: Drug companies fined for promoting more expensive drug

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11/03/2014

Drug companies fined for promoting more expensive drug

BBC Radio 4 - In Touch, Drug companies fined for promoting more expensive drug

Two drug companies fined in Italy for promoting a more expensive drug over a cheaper one.

Two drug companies have been fined in Italy for promoting a more expensive drug over a cheaper one, plus a woman's story of breaking away from what she calls 'honour-based abuse'.

The Italian Competition Authority has fined two pharmaceutical companies, Roche and Novartis, a total of 182.5 million euros, accusing them of colluding to promote a more expensive drug over a cheaper alternative. Lucentis and Avastin are both drugs used in the treatment of wet Age-related Macular Degeneration, with Lucentis is around ten times the cost of Avastin. Novartis and Roche are appealing the decision. We speak to Daniela Minerva, a health journalist in Italy, about the case, and what it means for the treatment of wet AMD in Italy. We also speak to Helen Jackman from the Macular Society, about what the organisation would like to see happen here in the UK.

A young blind woman, Saliha, tells us about her experience of what she calls "honour-based abuse" by her family. She describes the restrictions that were placed on her once she became a teenager, and how she tried to leave home twice, before succeeding the third time.

Producer: Lee Kumutat
Presenter: Peter White
Editor: Andrew Smith.

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