Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children with Neuroblastoma have access to the most effective (a) treatments and (b) drugs.

Current treatments for high-risk neuroblastoma include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplantation, surgery and isotretinoin. Dinutuximab beta gained marketing authorisation in May 2017 and is used in combination with interleukin-2 (aldesleukin) as an additional treatment option for patients who have high-risk neuroblastoma and have shown some improvement with previous treatments or with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published final draft technology appraisal guidance on 12 July that recommends dinutuximab beta as a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources for patients meeting specified clinical criteria. Stakeholders now have an opportunity to appeal NICE’s draft recommendations. NICE expects to publish final guidance in August 2018.

Ministers and Departmental officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in NHS England and NICE, including the availability of individual treatments.