Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of NHS England’s criterion for eligibility for indication-specific pricing to demonstrate revenue loss on the UK’s international competitiveness in life sciences.

The Government is taking decisive steps to secure the future of life sciences research in the United Kingdom and to ensure we remain internationally competitive. The upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out a bold vision to strengthen our world-class research and development, attract global investment, and accelerate healthcare innovation.

The National Health Service seeks the best value in its commercial deals for patients and taxpayers. The recent NHS Commercial Framework consultation clarified the circumstances in which indication specific pricing will be considered in England. The framework now provides further guidance relating to the time period over which revenue loss is considered and the components included in its calculation, referencing the potential to include future indications where there is a high degree of confidence of regulatory approval, a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendation, and forecast volumes and prices. This will help companies better understand the circumstances in which indication specific pricing may be available to support patient access to new medicines.