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U.K. government says Orkambi must go through proper NICE channels

December 10, 2018 8:37 PM UTC

Responding to a petition calling for NHS England to cover cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi lumacaftor/ivacaftor from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX), the U.K. government threw its support behind NICE and urged the biotech to re-engage with the agency's appraisal process.

"We understand the frustration of the cystic fibrosis community, however, it has been made clear to Vertex that its drugs need to be priced responsibly and that any re-assessment of Orkambi's effectiveness must be carried out via NICE's established processes," the government wrote. The response was posted on the U.K.'s Parliament website on Dec. 7...