Orkambi and Cystic Fibrosis
Debate between Alex Sobel and Lord Austin of Dudley(6 years, 1 month ago)
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Ian Austin
My hon. Friend is completely right. This is what politics is about. What are we here for? We are here to listen to people in our constituencies. It is our job to come here and speak up on their behalf, which is exactly what she has just done.
I want the Minister to look really carefully at the way in which NICE works. This is not a criticism of NICE, the Government or anyone else, but new drugs are being developed and technological changes are happening so rapidly that I want to ask whether the way in which drugs are assessed, licensed and approved still works. My central question is: how are Ministers going to ensure that these ground-breaking drugs and new developments are made available much quicker?
In 2016, NICE was not able to recommend the use of Orkambi due to uncertainty about its long-term value, impact and cost-effectiveness. Vertex submitted a fresh proposal last month. On Friday, NHS England said:
“Following advice from Nice, the NHS has asked this particular drug company to review its proposed pricing. Unless this happens, further progress at this time is frankly unlikely.”
What sort of hope does a blunt statement such as “frankly unlikely” give people with cystic fibrosis? How does it give us any confidence that new drugs such as Symdeko, which is due to have its marketing authorisation confirmed by the European Medicines Agency in the coming works, will be approved as well?
Alex Sobel (Leeds North West) (Lab/Co-op)
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. A constituent who has two children with cystic fibrosis wrote to me:
“I have lived at first hand now for 42 years in close proximity to this cruel disease…Orkambi, expensive as it is, will offer a possible lifeline to many CF sufferers. On the cost effective side I think it is worth pointing out just how expensive it is to hospitalise and treat CF patients when they are ill, as happens frequently.”
She went on to say that the local facilities are superb, but:
“The cost of any drug that reduces the number of hospital admissions would I am sure, be at least significantly off set by the savings in NHS”.
Does my hon. Friend agree that it should be proved on that basis?