Cystic Fibrosis Drugs: Orkambi

Debate between Seema Kennedy and Jeremy Lefroy

Monday 10th June 2019 Westminster Hall

[Seema Kennedy]

I agree with the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee and urge Vertex to re-engage with the NICE process. To date, unfortunately, it has continued to refuse to accept the process or has suggested unacceptable conditions on the NICE value assessment of its product, which would render the outcome meaningless. That comes despite NHS England’s latest proposals offering to reimburse Vertex ahead of a positive NICE recommendation, which for a deal of this size is unprecedented; agreeing to implement real-world data collection, as the Committee has called for, to help Vertex to demonstrate the value of its medicines; and offering significantly increased prices in comparison with their offer last July.

NICE has a 20-year history and is internationally renowned and independent. Its methods and processes for the development of its guidance have been in place for 20 years, but it recognises that it needs to evolve. It continues to review its procedures to ensure that they remain fit for purpose; it is now undertaking a review of its technology appraisal methods in line with the commitment in the 2019 voluntary scheme, and it encourages all stakeholders to engage. NICE has recommended 75% of the drugs for rare diseases—some of which I will touch on later—that have been assessed through its technology appraisal programme for the eligible patient population.

Last week, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry made it clear that

“NICE is the cornerstone of NHS efforts to ensure the price being charged by a company represents the value being delivered.”

Commenting on the current situation, it said that

“the APBI would always encourage companies to fully engage with NICE at all stages of the process.”

Furthermore, it commented on the current structure of NHS England’s proposed deal with Vertex, saying that

“the structure of the offer represents exactly the sort of flexibility the industry has been calling for, for some time.”

However, Vertex is willing to accept only its own valuation of Orkambi; I draw your attention, Mr Hanson, to comments directed at Vertex by Members from across the House, including those made by the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson).

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way and I apologise for not being here at the beginning of the debate, because of important statements in the main Chamber.

My constituent William Smith, who is a pupil at Cooper Perry Primary School, has cystic fibrosis. Along with his entire class, he presented me with the facts of his case and with letters to the Government, and they made it quite clear that they expect not only the Government but Vertex to come to a decision on this matter. Is it not absolutely vital that a company such as Vertex should engage with the Government given that the lives and futures of people such as William Smith, my 10-year-old constituent, are at stake?

[Seema Kennedy]

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. Members from across the House have told very moving stories of their constituents, the lives they lead, and the stresses and the strains put on them by the lack of an agreement on this matter. However, other drug companies are developing medications for rare diseases, and agreements have been reached on those. I will turn to them very shortly.

We can look at what happened in Spain earlier this year, when Vertex did not accept the terms of Spain’s health outcome-related proposal. The Spanish proposal, which is similar to the recent NHS England offer, is based on the ongoing collection and interpretation of real world data. Why is that not acceptable to Vertex? I also note that dialogue between Spain and Vertex has been ongoing for three years, which is similar to the situation here in England.

We will never walk away, but Vertex must now agree to engage with NICE and we urge it to accept all the flexibilities that NHS England has put on the table. There is nothing unusual about Vertex that means that this is not the right thing for it to do. Recently, we have seen deals reached as part of the NICE appraisal process, including that for ocrelizumab, which is an innovative multiple sclerosis drug, that for Spinraza, which is for people with spinal muscular atrophy, and that for axicabtagene ciloleucel chimeric antigen receptor t cell, or CAR-T, treatments.

Given that Vertex remains an extreme outlier in both pricing and behaviour, it is no wonder that patients and families have been looking at alternative solutions to secure access to this drug, and we have heard about the buyers’ club. Hon. Members have also talked about Crown use licensing, and the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) talked about large-scale clinical trials.

Unless Vertex changes its approach and behaves responsibly, I have a moral obligation to look at these other options. Of course NHS England and NICE will carry on the negotiations, because a negotiated outcome is the desired option. However, I have no alternative but to look at these other options on the table.