Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a date has been set for Vertex pharmaceuticals, NICE and NHS England to convene a further meeting to discuss how the cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi can be made available to patients.

NHS England and NHS Improvement is leading the negotiations with Vertex and has made a revised and improved offer to Vertex that would provide immediate funding for Orkambi and Symkevi in advance of a positive assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in addition to expanded access to Kalydeco which is already funded by the National Health Service for certain patients. No date has been agreed for a further meeting as of yet, however negotiations are ongoing between Vertex, NHS England and NHS Improvement and NICE.

Cystic fibrosis can have a devastating effect on the lives of those who suffer from it, and those close to them, and the Government wants to see patients access innovative treatments at a cost-effective price for the NHS. The Government fully supports NICE and NHS England in seeking to ensure access for patients to effective and innovative medicines at a price that represents value to the NHS, and it is not for Ministers to intervene in this process. The Department’s approach remains to strongly urge Vertex to accept NHS England and NHS Improvement’s generous offer, but in the absence of a deal, we have asked NHS England and NHS Improvement to continue to explore all options to ensure patients can access treatments as soon as possible.