The agreement will make all of Boston-based Vertex’s cystic fibrosis drugs available to U.K residents. The deal includes the drugmaker’s newly approved Trikafta when it becomes licensed in the U.K. There are about 8,200 people living with cystic fibrosis in England and about 4,400 people are expected to benefit from the treatment, which only targets certain genetic mutations of the disease.
How much the U.K. government will pay Vertex for the drugs was not disclosed, but the deal includes a cost-effectiveness appraisal that is set to be completed by 2021, according to STAT. It also includes a “flexible contractual mechanism” that guarantees the drugs remain accessible to patients.
The deal follows years of dispute between the U.K.’s National Health Service and Vertex. Last year, NHS called Vertex’s pricing of its drugs “unsupportable,” while Vertex called the government’s offer “outrageous” and “unconscionable,” according to STAT.
Simon Stevens, the CEO of NHS, suggested the deal underscores the fact that drugmakers must pursue a collaborative approach in negotiating access to their drugs, according to STAT.
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