Faster access to new medicines deal agreed

The Department of Health and Social Care has agreed the outline terms of a deal with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) enabling the NHS to get the best value and most effective medicines into use more quickly.

Expected to save the NHS around £930 million next year, the agreement means patients could access new medicines up to six months earlier and is expected to come into effect from January 2019 after the final details have been finalised.

Parts of the deal agreed for the voluntary scheme include: faster assessments of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of all new medicines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); NHS funding for all medicines recommended for use by NICE; and early engagement with companies to ensure clinicians and the NHS infrastructure are ready to use new medicines.

The scheme is also placing a two per cent cap on the growth in sales of branded medicines to the NHS, meaning pharmaceutical companies will repay the NHS for spending above the cap, which is expected to save the NHS £930 million in 2019.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This new deal will be good for patients, good for the NHS and good for the UK life sciences industry. Cutting-edge and best value medicines will be fast-tracked and we will cut our medicines bill by £930 million next year following tough but constructive negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry – money we can reinvest into better NHS services, alongside the NHS long-term plan. The deal will also ensure the UK remains an attractive hub for research and investment so the next generation of ground-breaking treatments can be developed here with patients benefiting earlier.”

Mike Thompson, chief executive of the ABPI, said: “This agreement is a commitment by the government and the NHS to work with us to support innovation for the benefit of patients. This means that people across the UK should see better and faster access to the most effective new medicines and vaccines. Under the scheme the NHS will have absolute certainty that the sales of branded medicines will not grow by more than two per cent in any of the next five years – or industry refunds the money. This is a significant contribution by pharmaceutical companies to support the NHS.”