Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated for emerging Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatments; and what plans he has to ensure that future therapies, including gene therapies and exon-skipping treatments, are assessed and funded through the NHS in a timely manner for patients who do not benefit from currently approved treatments.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. The Department has not allocated any funding specifically for emerging treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates all new licensed medicines, including for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and aims wherever possible to publish guidance close to the time of licensing to ensure that patients are able to benefit from rapid access to effective new treatments. The National Health Service in England is required to fund treatments recommended by NICE.

NICE published final guidance recommending the drug givinostat for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in people six years old and over on 28 May. NHS England is providing interim funding from the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF) so that eligible patients have been able to access the intervention since the publication of NICE’s positive draft guidance on 8 May 2026. NICE has also previously recommended the drugs ataluren and vamorolone as options for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and these treatments are now routinely funded for eligible patients.