HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock has demanded the makers of a wonder drug give immediate access to a Sun reader who pleaded for the PM’s help.
Mum of two Sam Parker revealed her suffering to Boris Johnson when he she and floating voter husband Ash gave him an election grilling over a cup of tea in their home on Monday.
Sam is one of 14,000 people in Britain who suffers from rare disorder PKU (phenylketonuria), and has to take 138 different pills a day for it.
After The Sun arranged the inquisition, Boris promised Sam he and his ministers will “do our absolute utmost” to get access to new life changing drug Kuvan.
It’s not available on the NHS after its makers BioMarin recently pulled out of the government’s approval process.
Acting yesterday to fulfil the PM’s pledge, Mr Hancock said: “I want patients to get access to transformative treatments that will improve their lives — and I will do everything I can to get patients like Sam access to the life-changing treatments they desperately need.”
“I am inviting BioMarin to immediately meet with the NHS to discuss how we can get this underway.
“If elected I will work with BioMarin so they re-engage in the NICE process and in the meantime to offer a compassionate use scheme so patients can access Kuvan as quickly as possible.”
The Health Secretary added: “I completely understand what a difficult and distressing condition PKU can be to manage, especially for children and pregnant women.
“We will work hard to get vital drugs to vulnerable patients, as we recently did with Orkambi and with the life changing drug for Battens Disease, another BioMarin drug.”
Sam, from the marginal constituency of Darlington, complained to the PM how very expensive Kuvan is available to people with her condition in other countries such as the US and Australia.
Sufferers of PKU cannot properly digest amino acid, leaving them with a very restricted diet.