Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will provide a timescale of when she expects (a) NHS England to conclude its commercial negotiations with Vertex Pharmaceuticals and (b) NICE to issue final guidance on NHS availability of Kaftrio for new patients.

Commercial negotiations between NHS England and Vertex remain on track and are being undertaken constructively, and within a confidential environment, to best enable progress. NHS England remains committed to ensuring patients, and the wider community of family, carers, and friends, are provided with regular updates as negotiations continue.

Notwithstanding the ongoing commercial negotiations, the existing agreement contains a flexible commercial mechanism that will ensure continued access for patients already receiving any of the licensed treatments, whatever the outcome of the final National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluation. Eligible children and adults with cystic fibrosis are continuing to receive ongoing treatment, and will be initiated onto treatment with these drugs as clinically appropriate. An update on the anticipated date of final guidance publication will be provided by the NICE once the commercial negotiations have concluded.