GP LEADERS in York have agreed to push to be able to use an unlicensed drug which would save them £4million a year - and which they say could save the NHS £800 million as a whole.

The Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group is bidding to replace the drug Lucentis with the considerably cheaper - but "equally safe and effective" - Avastin to treat age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of sight loss in people over 50.

Both drugs are made by the same company which has not applied to license the cheaper drug to treat age-related macular degeneration. The CCG has said it could save up to £4million a year by switching to the Avastin - enough to pay for the A&E department for six months. Nationally, it said that could amount to £800 million.

Dr Shaun O'Connell said at yesterday's meeting: "They said the Chancellor threw a £2 billion lifeline to the NHS at the weekend. Well here is a billion quid he could find quite easily if we sort this out.

"If the Secretary of State can do anything about this he jolly well should. This is a massive problem for the NHS.

"It's about time the UK regulators stood up to Big Pharma."

The group is writing to challenge the General Medical Council guidance, which is based on European law, which states unlicensed drugs should only be used if there are no suitable licensed drugs available, and urging the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to approve it. It is also appealing to Jeremy Hunt, the secretary of state for health.

Dr Tim Hughes, of the CCG, said: "£4million is a huge amount of money when you think how hard we are working to save thousands on a practice level - it's wasteful spending.

"I would rather see that in our community rather than going to a big pharmaceutical company."