Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with NICE on the potential merits of offering Paxlovid to people over the age of 50.

Decisions on whether licensed medicines should be recommended for routine National Health Service funding are made independently by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), on the basis of the evidence of the costs and benefits. The Department has no plans to speak to the NICE about offering Paxlovid to all people over the age of 50 years old.

NICE guidance recommends Paxlovid, which contains nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, as an option for treating COVID-19 in adults only if they do not need supplemental oxygen for COVID-19 and if they are or have any of the following:

• an increased risk for progression to severe COVID-19, as defined in the guidance;
• are aged 70 years old and over;
• a body mass index of 35 kilograms per meter squared of height, or more;
• diabetes; or
• heart failure.

The NICE has agreed to NHS England’s proposal to a phased implementation of its recommendations on Paxlovid, to allow more time for the NHS to put in place the capacity and infrastructure needed for full rollout to all eligible patients. Paxlovid is currently available to NHS patients at highest risk of severe COVID-19, in line with the approach to the rollout set out in the NICE’s guidance.