Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the COVID-19 Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel held its last meeting; and whether the strategy to support at-risk patient cohorts has been recently reviewed, with particular reference to the accessibility of (1) Evusheld, (2) Paxlovid, and (3) other treatments.

The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel held its last meeting on 31 January 2023.

There are no current plans for any further review of the Government’s decision not to procure Evusheld. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Single Technology Appraisal on Evusheld is expected to conclude March 2023.

The Government will continue to support highest risk patients by providing community-based antiviral treatment through COVID Medicine Delivery Units, including the oral antivirals Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, as well as the monoclonal antibody treatment, Sotrovimab and the intravenous antiviral, Remdesivir. NHS England has been provided with funding to help integrated care boards transition treatment to more routine access routes, including via general practices/primary care. The Department is also currently working with COVID-19 antibody testing experts to develop a study which may be of particular interest to immunocompromised patients who struggle to mount a vaccine response. More information on the pilot study will be provided when the details are finalised.

All antiviral treatments, including Paxlovid, are being reviewed as part of the NICE multiple technology appraisal process which is expected to conclude March 2023.