Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to accelerate access to modern, biology-driven treatments for brain cancer, including Astrocytoma across all grades, and to reduce reliance on outdated therapies; what national pathway exists to enable access to targeted or repurposed treatments where the same mutation is already treated in another cancer; and what barriers prevent access to those treatments.

The Government recognises the significant impact cancerous brain tumours can have on patients, carers, and families, and that treatment options remain limited. All new licensed medicines, including for brain cancer, are evaluated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which assesses whether they are a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources.

NICE has recommended vorasidenib for eligible patients aged 12 years old and over with IDH mutant low-grade glioma, as an option for treating grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma where it is considered the most suitable treatment. NICE is also actively evaluating further medicines for potential use in brain tumours.

NICE works with companies and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to issue guidance as close as possible to licensing. The NHS in England must fund medicines recommended by NICE, and the Cancer Drugs Fund can provide access from the point of a draft positive NICE recommendation.

The MHRA recognises the challenges of developing treatments for rare cancers, where large-scale clinical evidence can be difficult to generate, and supports timely access to safe, effective, and high-quality treatments for patients with high unmet need.

The MHRA supports innovative approaches such as precision medicine, real-world evidence, and international collaboration. Relevant routes include Project Orbis, the Access Consortium, the International Recognition Pathway, and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, alongside the Rare Diseases Framework and recent regulations to support faster development of personalised cancer treatments.