Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure NICE evaluates all treatments for duchenne muscular dystrophy by the same criteria.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for the development of authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and treatments represent an effective use of resources.

Drugs for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy selected for referral to NICE are assessed using NICE’s standard methods and processes for the relevant guidance programme. Most of the treatments NICE assesses are appraised through its technology appraisal programme, but NICE also operates a separate highly specialised technology programme for the evaluation of a small number of very high cost drugs for very small patient populations. Decisions about the most appropriate programme for assessment of individual treatments, including for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, are taken following consideration against published criteria, including the size of the eligible patient population, and engagement with stakeholders.