Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether new or existing patients with Cystic Fibrosis will continue to have access to modular drugs through the NHS to treat that condition.

Since 2019, National Health Service patients have been able to access Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio through an interim access agreement between NHS England, the company Vertex, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The agreement makes the medicines available for a limited time at a reduced price, while further information has been collected to inform a NICE appraisal. On 15 November 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved a new licence extension and children as young as two years old with cystic fibrosis are now eligible to receive Kaftrio through the interim access agreement.

NICE is currently consulting on its draft recommendations on the use of Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio and has not yet published its final recommendations. NICE continues to work with stakeholders to address the issues highlighted by the committee in the draft guidance. Under the terms of the interim access agreement for the cystic fibrosis medicines, Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio, eligible children and adults with cystic fibrosis can continue to receive ongoing treatment and be initiated onto treatment with these medicines, as clinically appropriate, while NICE concludes its evaluation.