NICE, VPAG and the UK’s new signal to pharma: Progress at last
The recent update to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) cost-effectiveness thresholds, alongside adjustments to the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG) scheme, marks the first meaningful shift in how new medicines in England and Wales are valued in over 20 years, and marks a positive signal that things are starting to move in the right direction. The impacts are a more positive environment for access with a projected increase of a limited number of drugs for reimbursement, as well as a less punitive regime for the growth in the adoption of technologies. Crucially, the catalyst for this has been the trade deal agreed with the US, which has resulted in 0% tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported to the US from the UK, in exchange for more investment by the UK in pharmaceuticals. This marks a tick in the US box of getting other countries to contribute more to R&D investment, as well as a tick in the UK box of holding on...
