Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health of 13 December 2016, Official Report, column 257WH, on the accelerated access review, what progress has been made on taking forward negotiations on Orkambi with Vertex.

The Accelerated Access Review recommendations are currently being considered by the Government. As the hon. Member will be aware from the Westminster Hall Debate on 13 December, it was stated that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) would be happy to consider any additional evidence of the cost-effectiveness or a revised price proposal that Vertex can provide to support a review of NICE’s original decision on the use of Orkambi (lumacaftor-ivacaftor).

In the meantime discussions with Vertex are continuing, including with NHS England.