Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NICE on the need for (a) new treatment options to be made available on the NHS for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and (b) open and ongoing dialogue with pharmaceutical companies throughout the technology appraisal process to ensure that patients are able to access new and innovative medicines on the NHS.

Departmental Ministers and officials routinely discuss a range of issues with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including in relation to appraisals of new cancer drugs and dialogue with pharmaceutical companies.

The Department has asked NICE to develop technology appraisal guidance for the National Health Service on the use of a number of potential new medicines for use in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia. NICE is carrying out these appraisals under the arrangements for the assessment and adoption of new cancer drugs introduced in 2016 that are designed to ensure that promising new cancer drugs can be made available to patients as quickly as possible.

The Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) sets out a range of measures to facilitate rapid access to cost-effective medicines, including the option for companies to propose a patient access scheme as part of a NICE appraisal. Informal discussions have already begun with industry regarding future medicines pricing arrangements, which will replace the current PPRS from 2019.