Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions has his Department had with Cystic Fibrosis sufferers on the provision of the drug Orkambi by the NHS.

The Government met with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, which represents patients with cystic fibrosis, in March 2017 to discuss access to the drug Orkambi. The Government has also had regular correspondence with patients with cystic fibrosis concerning the availability of Orkambi. We are also aware that NHS England has been in regular contact with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust about this matter.

The Government welcomes the ongoing discussions between NHS England and the manufacturer of Orkambi, Vertex, to seek to agree a deal that would make Orkambi available to National Health Service patients in a way that represents value to the taxpayer.