Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the MHRA on approving the antibody treatment Evusheld.

We have had no specific discussions. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s regulatory processes are independent of the Department. However, it would be expected that AstraZeneca would discuss regulatory approvals for its products with the MHRA.

Evusheld is not currently authorised for use in the United Kingdom. We will continue to monitor emerging data for the treatment.

On 5 October 2021, the Department invited suppliers to submit expressions of interest for neutralising antibody treatments being developed for treating and preventing COVID-19. This will enable the Department to undertake fair and transparent market engagement with all suppliers.