Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) the full clinical and scientific advice that his Department received on Evusheld and (b) his Department's reasoning for its decision not to procure the drug for treatment of long covid-19.

The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is a decision based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency initiative, RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. These groups considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies and concluded there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend deployment. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and agree that this should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.

The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on this decision and evidence considered. The letter summarised the evidence considered by RAPID C-19 which contributed to the decision not to procure and deploy Evusheld and detailed the next steps the Government will take. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.