UK's NICE Reject Lucentis

"Novartis AG's (NVS) eye care drug Lucentis has been rejected by Britain's health costs watchdog because of the medicine's high cost and doubts about its effectiveness in treating macular oedema," according to a Wall Street Journal post. "Macular oedema occurs when fluid collects in the retina, causing damage to vision. The U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, Thursday said its independent appraisal committee was unable to recommend the injectable therapy "because of gaps and uncertainties in the evidence on the effectiveness of Lucentis compared with other treatments" and because of the drug's cost." Read more.