Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has a timetable for the HIV drug which combines the antiretroviral drugs cabotegravir and rilpivirine as a bi-monthly injection to be available on the NHS throughout the UK.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. On 5 January 2022, NICE published guidance recommending cabotegravir with rilpivirine, within its marketing authorisation, as an option for treating HIV‑1 infection in adults. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta757

The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal within three months of final guidance. The availability of medicines in the rest of the United Kingdom is a devolved matter.