NHS England bypasses NICE by agreeing deal on Zolgensma

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has fast-tracked the introduction of Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) to make it available for babies and young children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Zolgensma, which has a reported list price of £1.8 million ($2.5 million) per dose and is labelled the most expensive drug in the world, will be available at a price described as ‘fair to taxpayers’ as part of the confidential deal struck by NHS England.

"NHS England has moved mountains to make this treatment available"Rather than waiting for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to publish its final guidance, the NHS has taken the step of making it available immediately, an approach that has apparently been backed by the NICE given the importance of administering the one-off treatment as early as possible.