UK's Health Ministry debuts 'Innovation Pass' to help patients get access to drugs for rare diseases

30 November 2009

A pilot to help patients get innovative new drugs not currently available on the UK's National Health Service was launched for consultation on November 27 by Health Minister Mike O'Brien and Science and Innovation Minister Lord Paul Drayson.

The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) Blueprint, published in July, detailed the government's commitment to create an 'Innovation Pass' pilot to allow patients with rarer diseases access to highly innovative new drugs which are not yet appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), and where there is limited data on their effectiveness.

Positive step for patients, says ABPI; signal for investment, adds BIA

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