In a rebuttal to claims that the US-UK pharmaceutical agreement could lead to excess deaths, industry leaders assert that the deal has already delivered new treatments to NHS patients. Richard Torbett of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry argues that the suggestion of 229,000 excess deaths is alarmist and based on incomplete data.
New Medicines Reach Patients
Over the past three months, many new medicines that would have been withheld or delayed have reached NHS patients due to reformed pricing arrangements. These include treatments for several cancers, blood disorders, and autoimmune conditions. This progress follows an increase in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness threshold, which had remained unchanged for nearly 25 years.
Addressing Historical Underfunding
Torbett highlights that the NHS has fallen behind comparable European countries in access to new treatments, particularly for cancer and rare diseases. He describes the adjustment as a modest, long-overdue change that values innovation, not a public health threat. He emphasizes the impact on patients benefiting from or awaiting life-changing treatments and the potential to increase investment in the NHS.
Inequities in Access
Nick Hoile, senior director at MHP Group, points out that for every 100 patients receiving a newly launched medicine in comparable countries during its first year, only 48 receive it in England. The deal aims to end this injustice, and critics should explain how they would bring British patient care closer to international standards.
