Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the National Institute for Health and Social Care on the accessibility of new medicines to treat cystic fibrosis.

The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about access to various new medicines.

The NICE develops its recommendations for the National Health Service in England based on the clinical and cost effectiveness of medicines independently, based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and in line with its published methods and processes.

In July 2024, the NICE approved three disease modifying treatments, orkambi, symkevi, and kaftrio, as treatment options for eligible NHS patients with cystic fibrosis, under the terms of a commercial agreement reached between NHS England and the manufacturer, Vertex. These treatments are now routinely funded by the NHS in England for eligible patients.

The NICE is also currently developing guidance for the NHS on whether vanzacaftor-tezacaftor-deutivacaftor can be recommended for routine funding for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The NICE is expecting to publish final guidance in August 2025.