Parliament to debate compulsory licensing of Vertex's Orkambi

With still no progress from NHS England, NICE and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX) on a reimbursement deal for Orkambi ivacaftor/lumacaftor, the House of Commons will debate on Feb. 4 whether to seek a Crown Use License for the cystic fibrosis drug. The debate was called by MP Bill Wiggin.

A Crown Use License allows the government to grant a compulsory license to produce a patented drug without the permission of the patent title holder, according to a brief issued by U.K. non-profit Cystic Fibrosis Trust. This would allow another manufacturer to produce a generic form of Orkambi without Vertex's consent. The biotech would be paid compensation at an amount set by the Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks...