Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with Novartis during price negotiations on the meningitis B vaccine on risk sharing in the development and implementation of that vaccine.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The meningitis B (MenB) vaccine has already been developed by Novartis. Implementation of the MenB programme is dependent on the vaccine being obtained at a cost effective price as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
The Department is continuing to negotiate with the manufacturer and the content of these negotiations is confidential. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) completed its purchase of Novartis’s non-influenza vaccine business on 2 March 2015 and therefore, further negotiations are continuing with GSK.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Government's approach to negotiating a cost-effective price for the meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero takes account of fluctuations in disease levels characteristic of that virus and the recent emergence of another strain of meningitis which may be treated using Bexsero.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The independent cost-effectiveness analysis of the use of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero took account of the incidence and case fatality rates of all meningococcal disease, including meningococcal W in England during the period 2005-06 to 2011-12. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered that these data gave a reasonable range. JCVI are the independent experts responsible for advising the Government on immunisations following due consideration of the evidence on the burden of disease, vaccine safety and efficacy and cost effectiveness.
Further information is available in Christensen H, Trotter CL, Hickman M, Edmunds WJ. Re‑evaluating cost effectiveness of universal meningitis vaccination (Bexsero) in England: modelling study. BMJ 2014; 349: g5725.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which post in his Department is responsible for leading negotiations on setting a cost-effective price for the meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero; and when the next meeting to continue those negotiations is scheduled.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department’s Director General for Innovation, Growth and Technology is leading negotiations with the manufacturer for the supply of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero. The most recent negotiating meeting took place on 8 December 2014 and, following subsequent technical discussions, the next such meeting will take place shortly.
Asked by: Tony Cunningham (Labour - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the approval of his Department's business case for the meningococcal B vaccine.
Answered by Jane Ellison
Senior officials in the Department and Her Majesty's Treasury have discussed the business case for meningococcal B immunisation.