Cystic Fibrosis Drugs: Orkambi

Thelma Walker Excerpts

Monday 10th June 2019 Westminster Hall

[Thelma Walker (Colne Valley) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bailey.

It is just two years ago last week that I was elected Member of Parliament for Colne Valley. Over the past two years, it has been a real privilege to serve and speak up for my constituents. One day, however, will stand out more than most for me, among many amazing and challenging days. It was Friday 31 May, when two children visited me in my constituency office. One was nine-year-old Tristan with his grandpa John, and the other was one-year-old toddler Charlie with his Mum and Dad. I had had a busy advice surgery that afternoon, but went straight to meet Charlie in one room, while Tristan waited patiently in another. They were in different rooms to avoid cross infection as they both suffer from cystic fibrosis.

They had come to see me to each hand me a letter in which they described their daily challenges living with cystic fibrosis. The letter also described how access to just one particular drug might make their daily battle with the disease a bit easier, and might result in both children living longer lives. One-year-old Charlie, along with his parents, would benefit if he could access the necessary drug from such an early age. Charlie handed over his letter to me, which I must admit was a bit soggy and chewed by the time I got it. It was a joy to be with him and his parents.

Tristan also handed me a letter. Following the death of Tristan’s father in 2016, Tristan’s grandpa and granny, John and Frances, look after Tristan as his guardians. The family have experienced more than their fair share of loss. Like Tristan, his uncle Adam suffered from cystic fibrosis, and died aged 25 in 1999. I can only imagine the immense pain and grief and incredible frustration of losing a son, yet still, nearly 20 years later, being unable to access the drugs that already exist and that would improve the life of their grandchild. I cannot express how much admiration I have for Tristan and his family, and for Charlie and his; they have campaigned with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to improve the lives of others.

What is this drug? It is called Orkambi; it already exists and it would improve the lives of children such as Tristan and Charlie. It is made by the pharmaceutical company Vertex, and the fact that it is not already available to those who need it is shameful. There are at least 2,834 people currently dealing with cystic fibrosis in England who could benefit from Orkambi.

Why has Orkambi not been made available? The current situation is that Vertex, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cannot agree a price. We know that Vertex declined a £500 million offer from NHS England, and we know that the NHS has made a new offer, which currently remains confidential. Vertex did not consider £500 million an adequate sum, but it did, allegedly, consider it okay to destroy 8,000 packs, or a 600-year supply of Orkambi, as the deadlock continued. The lives of children such as Tristan and Charlie seem to be deemed acceptable collateral damage in this boardroom-style version of healthcare provision.

I urge Vertex to consider the NHS’s current offer with the lives of children such as Charlie and Tristan at the forefront of its mind. This seems to me to be a straightforward ethical decision for Vertex, which should be willing to compromise on its profit margin in circumstances where the lives of children are at stake. Let us be clear: Vertex is not struggling to make ends meet. It is a $43 billion company. That is about the same as the GDP of Bolivia or Tunisia. Vertex’s chief executive officer received a total salary of around $19 million in 2018, making him one of the best paid CEOs in the pharmaceutical industry. As ever, the problem is not that there is not enough money, but that big business is not willing to spend it.

This situation, in which children’s lives are held to ransom, must not continue. Vertex and NHS England must agree a deal soon, or an interim solution must be found, as happened in Scotland. Children’s lives must not continue to be held hostage. Tristan’s grandpa has already lost a son to this condition. There is simply no excuse for not prolonging and improving Tristan’s life. I will continue to campaign with Tristan and his grandpa, and Charlie and his parents, until this drug is made available to them and they are able to get on with their lives.

I will finish with a direct plea from Tristan’s grandpa, John Binns:

“We don’t have time – please don’t waste it. It’s costing lives and there are too many cystic fibrosis angels already.”