Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure people can access Skymkevi through the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) began its appraisal of tezacaftor and ivacaftor therapy (Symkevi) for treating cystic fibrosis with the F508del mutation in 2017. However, in August 2018, Vertex took the decision to not engage in the NICE appraisal of Symkevi. As a result, NICE had no choice other than to suspend this appraisal, and is currently considering next steps.

This decision from Vertex follows its rejection of NHS England’s final offer for reimbursement of its portfolio of cystic fibrosis drugs in the region of £500 million over five years.