Written question asked by Lorraine Beavers (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 March 2026. It was answered by Zubir Ahmed (Labour) on Thursday, 19 March 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Liver Diseases: Medical Treatments
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking, working with manufacturers of breakthrough treatments for fatty liver disease, to prepare the NHS to deliver such treatments as quickly as possible to eligible patients once approved.
- Answer
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Newly licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE aims wherever possible to issue draft guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing. The NHS in England is legally required to fund drugs recommended by NICE, usually within three months of final guidance.
NICE is currently evaluating potential new treatments for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in anticipation of the medicines being granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency with guidance expected later this year. NHS England is actively preparing to support the potential introduction of new treatments for MASH, including fatty liver disease with fibrosis, alongside the ongoing NICE appraisal process.
The Department and NHS England will continue to work to ensure that, once approved, effective new treatments for fatty liver disease are introduced in a way that is fair, affordable, and which protects the wider NHS, while ensuring that patients with the greatest clinical need are able to benefit as quickly as possible.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 119678
- Session
- 2024-26
- Subjects
- Medical treatments Liver diseases
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-03-19 10:22:00 +0000
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-26/119678
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