A drugs firm has been accused of trying to block access to what some doctors believe is a cheap, safe and effective drug to treat a common eye condition.
The British Medical Journal claims it has revealed a campaign to derail research into the cancer drug Avastin.
The claim has been denied by Novartis, the firm which markets the officially licensed drug, Lucentis, in the UK.
Many doctors use Avastin as a cheaper but unlicensed alternative to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD affects at least 26,000 people each year in the UK and if left untreated can cause blindness.
The latest research puts the number at around 40,000, of which around two-thirds are likely to need treatment.
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