Novartis ($NVS) got a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) today for the pioneering eye drug that it licensed last year from ThromboGenics in a deal worth about €375 million ($498 million). Novartis got rights to Jetrea outside the U.S. As FierceBiotech points out, the drug provides a novel alternative to surgery for patients with vitreomacular traction, a condition that causes separation of the jelly-like substance in the eye and leads to vision loss and blindness. Because the drug has no competition, KBC Securities analyst Jan De Kerpel told Bloomberg the drug should hit peak sales in a couple of years. The drug was approved in the U.S. in October, where it is forecast to generate annual peak sales of $500 million. Story | More