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Innovative Medicine Fund launches

07 June 2022

Thank you for taking the time to engage with the consultation on proposals for the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF):

Today, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI), in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), are publishing our response to consultation and formally opening the IMF.

·       112 responses to the consultation were received, including from stakeholders in industry (37%), NHS (24%) and patient groups & charities (18%)

·       There was widespread support for the purpose of the Innovative Medicine Fund with 96% of respondents either strongly agreeing, or agreeing, with the purpose of the IMF

·       Alongside our response to consultation a new set of IMF Principles set-out the policy approach to the delivery of the Fund, providing clarity on the primary role of the IMF, to enable faster patient access to innovative new treatments

Building on the success of the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) that has delivered faster access to cancer treatments for over 80,000 patients, the IMF will support faster access to non-cancer drugs and, alongside the CDF, provide a total of £680 million ringfenced NHS funding for innovative medicines.

The NHS in England has consistently shown its readiness to secure new pharmaceutical innovation for the benefit of patients. The NHS was the first health system in Europe to make personalised CAR-T cancer treatment accessible to patients, reaching a commercial deal to offer treatment through the CDF less than 10 days after the treatment was licensed.[1]

The IMF is a key part of the health systems’ readiness for the continued adoption of Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), building on recent positive NICE appraisals for, and NHS adoption of, cutting-edge non-cancer treatments, including:

·       atidarsagene autotemcel (Libmeldy®) – a life-saving gene therapy that offers the prospect of a normal life for children with metachromatic leukodystrophy.[2]

·       onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®) – a one-off gene therapy that can enable mobility in babies and young children with spinal muscular atrophy[3]

·       voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna®) – a first gene therapy which prevents blindness in children with inherited retinal dystrophies disorder[4]

Horizon-scanning suggests that nearly 40 ATMP products for more than 45 indications may go through a NICE assessment in the next three years, with an approximate 50/50 split between cancer and non-cancer medicines. The IMF and CDF provide routes to faster patient access while further data can be collected, ensuring that treatment using the latest health technologies can begin without delay and that NHS clinicians can help build the evidence-base for a new treatment, utilising the world-class skills and infrastructure of the NHS.

Thank you once again for helping to shape the development of the IMF.

Our response to the consultation, along with the IMF Principles and an FAQ about the Fund can be viewed at https://www.england.nhs.uk/medicines-2/innovative-medicines-fund/.

Should you have any questions or comments, please email england.commercialmedicines@nhs.net.

 

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