Private availability of Evusheld in the UK has been announced by AstraZeneca. Although this will allow some vulnerable people in the UK to access this drug, not everyone who is in urgent need of this drug will have access.

The NKF are disappointed that the only way Evusheld is to be made available is outside of the NHS, with effect from Wednesday 19^th October 2022. The drug is to cost £1,000 for a 600mg dose which would be prescribed by a healthcare professional. While the private provider will pay £1,000 per dose, they will need to charge their patients more than this. There might be a charge for the consultation, plus the charge for the actual treatment. This means the cost to patients will be over £1,000. It's not possible to say exactly how much, as it will depend on how much the provider decides to charge. With the cost-of-living crisis, it will be another inevitable divide, a clear distinction of inequality. We need action now.

Our kidney community will be sure to have concerns over this announcement and we will provide updates as soon as there is further information. We fully support Evusheld 4 the UK's stance and will continue our support to push forward their campaign for delivery of preventative protection to the vulnerable. We support the #Forgotten500K. 

Patient and clinical questions should be addressed to the Medical Information and Patient Safety (MIPS) team at AstraZeneca [email protected] or call 0800 783 0033, or if you would like further support our NKF Freephone Helpline is available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm 0800 169 09 36.