Fiona Godlee, editor of the British Medical Journal, denounced risks of collusion between Roche and Novartis in the article "Avastin versus Lucentis".
Notes on verification
The 2012 BMJ editorial by Fiona Godlee exists and its content matches the claim's characterization. Corroborated by pharma trade press and later validated by Italian antitrust authority's 2014 fine on Roche and Novartis for collusion over Avastin/Lucentis, though a related criminal case was later dismissed.
Sources
- Procedura di infrazione da parte dell'Autorità Antitrust (epicentro.iss.it)
- https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/lucentis-fiona-godlee/12817878 (slideshare.net)
- https://www.agcm.it/media/comunicati-stampa/2014/3/alias-6801 (agcm.it)
- https://pharmafile.com/news/197975/novartis-accused-lucentis-campaign-against-avastin (pharmafile.com)
- https://pharmatimes.com/news/novartis_accused_in_uk_avastin_for_wet_amd_row_971259/ (pharmatimes.com)
- http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/bmj-novartis-tried-scupper-trials-protect-lucentis-cheap-avastin/2015-04-02 (fiercepharma.com)