Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when Olaparib will be made available for the treatment of prostate cancer on the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing technology appraisal guidance on olaparib for previously treated, hormone-relapsed metastatic prostate cancer with homologous recombination repair gene mutations. The first committee meeting is scheduled to take place on November 2020, with publication of guidance expected on February 2021.

If recommended, the Cancer Drugs Fund will provide interim funding from the point that the positive draft guidance is published. Commissioners have a statutory responsibility to make funding available for a drug or treatment no later than 90 calendar days (30 calendar days for cancer medicines) after the guidance is published, unless otherwise specified.