Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the financial cost offset to the NHS including savings to the NHS from reduced acquisition costs of food supplements of commissioning Kuvan for the treatment of phenylketonuria.

NHS England has considered a policy for Kuvan (sapropterin) at the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) meeting on 6/7 November. Whilst NHS England did make an estimate of the current cost of protein supplements and a potential reduction in their use if Kuvan were prescribed, this cost was not included in the analysis because commissioning responsibility for supplements rests with clinical commissioning groups and it would be unlikely that NHS England would be able to realise these savings. The cost of the potential reduction in protein supplements is also relatively modest compared to the cost of Kuvan.

In line with its published process, the recommendations from CPAG will be considered by the Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group and the Specialised Services Commissioning Committee. A decision about whether or not Kuvan has been prioritised for funding will be published in due course.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing technology appraisal guidance for the National Health Service on the use of Kuvan for the treatment of phenylketonuria. In developing technology appraisal guidance, NICE takes into account all the health and publicly funded social care related costs and benefits associated with the treatment, potentially including any costs from NHS funded treatments that can be avoided such as food supplements. The NICE appraisal of Kuvan is now underway and NICE expects to publish final guidance next year.