AQW 47309/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 16/06/2015
Answered On Date: 25/08/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether the Health and Social Care Board will assess the need for Ataluren (Translarna) locally, independent of issue or practise in England, following the upcoming publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines

Answer:

Ataluren (Translarna) is being evaluated through the NICE Highly Specialised Technologies Programme. NICE anticipate that the publication of the Technology Appraisal (TA) is February 2016. Once published, the guidance will be subject to the process of local endorsement for use in Northern Ireland as set out in the guidance in Circular HSC (SQSD) 02/13.

The Department’s budget for 2015/16 does not include specific funding for new NICE drugs and in the absence of additional funding the HSCB has indicated it will not be able to fund all new NICE approved drugs.

As per the guidance, the HSCB is required to individually assess NICE TAs for each new drug and arrive at a decision on implementation. This of course must take account of resource issues as well as the costs and benefits of that drug