Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with (a) NHS England (b) NICE and (c) Vertex on access to Orkambi for cystic fibrosis sufferers; and if he will make a statement.

Officials in the Department have had a number of discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England on the availability of Orkambi. NICE and NHS England are leading the dialogue with Vertex Pharmaceuticals around access to its portfolio of cystic fibrosis medicines. It is critical that Vertex now re-engages fully with the NICE appraisal process and gives serious consideration to the portfolio deal offer that NHS England made at the end of July. This deal would provide immediate access for patients to all Vertex licensed medicines and future pipeline products once licensed and in advance of the individual NICE appraisals concluding. The Government fully supports the approach that NICE and NHS England are adopting.