A new jab which allows cancer patients to be treated with just one injection is set to be rolled out by the NHS for 15 different types of the disease.
Patients will be able to receive the immunotherapy in a vaccine, called nivolumab, in a treatment that will take just 15 minutes rather than spending an hour on an IV drip.
Around 1,200 patients a month will receive it for 15 different types of cancer, including skin cancer, bladder as England becomes the first country in Europe to offer it.
The drug is a monoclonal antibody that works by clinging to a protein called PD-1 on an immune cell called T-cell. It works by blocking cancer cells from switching off T-cells, allowing the immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells.
NHS England said the jab, being rolled out to eligible patients next month, would save around 1,000 hours of treatment time for patients and clinicians every month.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said: “This treatment is used for 15 different types of the disease, so it will free up thousands of valuable clinicians’ time every year, allowing teams to treat even more patients and helping hospital capacity.
“And this is just the latest development in the NHS’s ongoing commitment to provide patients with the latest cancer therapies and treatment options that truly transform lives.”
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said: “Britain is a hotbed of innovation, masterminding the newest tech and medical inventions to help people navigate illness. A new jab that fastens up cancer treatment is a prime example of this, so it’s fantastic to see that cancer patients in England will be among the first in Europe to benefit.”
“With cancer medicines getting better all the time, this government will ensure that NHS patients are among the first to access the latest treatments and technology.”
And James Richardson, Clinical Pharmacist and National Specialty Adviser for Cancer Drugs, said: “I am delighted that NHS patients across England will soon be able to benefit from this quicker-to-administer, effective treatment, that can be used to treat a range of cancer types, including skin cancer and solid tumours originating in the kidneys.
“This is a significant advancement in cancer treatment, with the potential to improve the lives of thousands of patients each month.”
