City MP Stephen Morgan today attended a Westminster Hall debate in the House of Commons in support of Portsmouth campaigners Gemma Weir and Michelle Frank who have been pushing for the Government to provide life-changing drug Orkambi for cystic fibrosis sufferers.
The debate, following a petition submitted to 10 Downing Street last month, received over 560 signatories in Portsmouth South, and aimed to persuade the Government Minister responsible to intervene in discussions with NICE and the drug provider, Vertex.
Stephen Morgan MP, said:
“Today was an important opportunity to urge the Government to seriously consider the offer by the drug company and understand the significance of Orkambi, and other new and innovative treatments, in the CF development pipeline.
I will continue to push for progress across the whole of the UK and will work with Gemma and Michelle, keeping up the fight until all who are eligible are given access to treatment as soon as possible”.
There has been an ongoing campaign for patient access to Orkambi for several years. Gemma and Michelle attended the debate in Westminster Hall on Monday afternoon as local campaigners, after over 114,000 signing the petition nation-wide.
Stephen added:
“Whilst I appreciate a number of meetings have been held, and the Department of Health has been talking with NICE, NHS England and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the Government must act now to secure tangible results on this issue. That’s what the 10,400 individuals living with CF across our country deserve.
I will be writing to the Secretary of State to ask him to take responsibility for these negotiations, and to bring NHS England and Vertex Pharmaceuticals to the table to find a deal”.
