Cancer: Medical Treatments

(asked on 22nd June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NICE will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the cost-effectiveness thresholds for new combination therapies as part of the NICE methods review; and if he can provide an update on the progress of that review.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 9th July 2020

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will not make an assessment of their cost-effectiveness thresholds for new combination therapies as part of its methods review. As per paragraph 3.20 of the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, the standard cost effectiveness threshold used by NICE will be retained at the current range (£20,000 - £30,000 per quality adjusted life year), and will remain unchanged for the duration of the Voluntary Scheme which will come to an end on 31 December 2023.

NICE is aiming for a six-week public consultation on the case for change to methods and processes in autumn this year, a second consultation presenting the draft programme manual in spring 2021 and implementation of the changes as quickly as possible afterwards.

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