NHS Commercial Framework provides ‘welcome clarity’, says ABPI

The recently published NHS Commercial Framework provides ‘welcome clarity’ for companies seeking to partner with the NHS and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

The NHS Commercial Framework for New Medicines has been published following a commitment made in the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branding Medicines Pricing and Access.

The framework sets out the NHS’ approach to commercial activity in relation branded medicines, with the aim of supporting its ambition to deliver patient access to proven, affordable and ‘transformative’ medicines in a financial sustainable way.

It has three core objectives, including facilitating timelier and more streamlined discussions about value, affordability and transactability for new medicines.

The second objective is to drive earlier and more purposeful engagement between NHS, the pharma industry and NICE, to enable improved planning at both individual company and system levels.

Finally, the framework will seek to clarify the commercial flexibilities that may be available to companies where appropriate.

In response to the framework, the ABPI’s chief executive Richard Torbett commented: “[The] publication of the NHS commercial framework for new medicines provides welcome clarity on how companies can partner with the NHS and NICE to get new medicines to the patients who need them.”

"As more new medicines are discovered, we need a system that can provide the right commercial flexibilities and that supports faster uptake and adoption of new treatments.

"The framework provides important recognition of this, and the ABPI will work closely with NHS England as the framework is reviewed and developed over time," he added.