Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's decision not to recommend Ruxolitinib for use within NHS England for the treatment of vitiligo.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance for the National Health Service on whether ruxolitinib should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of its costs and benefits.

The NICE was unfortunately unable to recommend ruxolitinib as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources in its final draft guidance published on 18 July. The NICE received four appeals against its draft recommendation which were heard by an independent panel on 11 October 2024. If any of the appeals are upheld, the NICE’s appraisal committee will reconsider its recommendations in light of the appeal panel’s decision.

It is right that the NICE makes its decisions at arm’s length of the Government and in line with its carefully developed methods and processes. As such, it would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in the NICE’s decision-making.