MPs threaten to hijack Vertex’s IP for its cystic fibrosis drugs in a long-running standoff over price
After attacking UK Prime Minister Theresa May last summer for NICE’s decision to dig in on Orkambi in search of a deep discount on the price, Vertex CEO Jeff Leiden may soon have to broaden his scope to include a large number of MPs.
MP Bill Wiggin is calling for a debate on Monday over enacting a “Crown Use” license that would allow NICE to push through a generic of Orkambi — stripping the patent protection around the leading therapy for a segment of the cystic fibrosis market. One of the most interesting aspects of Wiggins’ move, though, is that he says NICE is looking to approve payments of $120 million a year for all of Vertex’s drugs, or $600 million for the next 5 years, according to a new note from Jefferies’ Michael Yee.
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