From how MHRA worded their response, I’m pretty sure the DCVax-L application came up at a CHM meeting in May or June 2025. Wondering how others see it.
12 August 2025
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) request received on 12 July. You wrote:
As a follow-up, I was reviewing the public minutes of previous CHM meetings and noted that the summary of the 27–28 June 2024 session included reference to “a medicine indicated to treat adults with brain cancer.” For reference, this summary is available here: https://app.box.com/s/jv487awvqzzsrdql0o34h9gg350ceyd4/file/1722461877065
Since the CHM minutes are typically published with several months’ delay, I would greatly appreciate it if you could confirm whether any discussions during the most recent May 2025 or June 2025 CHM meetings involved a medicine for the treatment of brain cancer.
MHRA Response
We can confirm that the Agency holds the information you are seeking. However, we are engaging an exemption from disclosure under Section 22(1) of FoI Act as the information is intended for publication at a future date in the CHM summary minutes, which can be found at the following link:
Membership - Commission on Human Medicines - GOV.UK
As required by the FoI Act the use of this qualified exemption requires the public interest for and against disclosure to be assessed.
We recognise that there is a public interest in knowing whether medicines for a particular disease were discussed at the CHM meetings, in order to understand more about the work of the CHM and the types of products that are currently being assessed.
However, when considering arguments against disclosure, the Summary Minutes are subject to various review stages, for accuracy of the content, prior to publication and this process is not yet complete.
There is a strong public interest in permitting public authorities, such as MHRA, to publish information in a manner and form and at a time of their own choosing. It is a part of the effective conduct of public affairs that the general publication of information is a conveniently planned and managed activity within the reasonable control of public authorities. Therefore, in this instance the agency has a reasonable entitlement to make its own arrangements to publish information.
On balance MHRA is satisfied that in this instance the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Therefore, the information you seek will not be released at this time.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
MHRA Central Freedom of Information TeamMedicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
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