Thousands denied eye drug over NHS costs

The Times is reporting today that thousands of patients whose sight could be saved by a new drug are being denied treatment on the NHS on the ground of cost.

Macugen, a new treatment for age-related macular degeneration, is launched today but primary care trusts (PCTs) are already telling patients that they will not pay for it.

A quarter of a million people in Britain suffer from "wet" AMD, the form of the disease that Macugen can treat. Every year, 21,000 more people, mostly over 60, have this form of the disease diagnosed.

But Macugen has not yet been cleared by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and will not be for at least another year.

Specialists fear that many patients will go blind while they wait. The delay has been condemned by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB)which has given warning that many patients will lose their sight before a decision is made on approving the drug.