Vertex issues scathing rebuke to Parliament as longstanding NHS conflict roils on

25 July 2018
2019_biotech_test_vial_discovery_big

More than two years since the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) ruled that Vertex Pharmaceuticals' (Nasdaq: VRTX) cystic fibrosis therapy Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) was too expensive to be issued through the National Health Service (NHS), the US firm has hit out at Parliament and NHS executives over delays.

Orkambi, the first drug directed at treating the cause of the disease in people who have two copies of the F508del mutation, accounting for around 45% of cases.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Vertex excoriated the UK's cost watchdog for undervaluing its portfolio of cystic fibrosis therapies by as much as 90%, a fee which they said would not enable them to refocus on R&D for next-generation therapies.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free.  A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Login to your account

Become a subscriber

 

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now
  • Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
  • Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
  • Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
  • Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
  • Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK

Companies featured in this story

More ones to watch >


Today's issue

Company Spotlight





More Features in Biotechnology