Exciting new child cancer treatment to be offered on the NHS

A cutting-edge treatment for aggressive leukaemia is to be offered on the NHS and has been called the most exciting treatment advance for decades.

CAR-T, used for treating the disease when other drugs have failed, usually costs hundreds of thousands of pounds for each patient. However, it has emerged that a fair and affordable price has now been reached with the manufacturer Novartis and hospitals could start giving it to a small number of children within weeks.

The treatment has a list price of £282,000 for each patient, although the cost to NHS England has not been disclosed.

Around 400 children are currently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia each year in the UK, but only around 15 of these patients may be suitable for the new treatment.

Dr Alasdair Rankin from charity Bloodwise, said “CAR-T cell therapy is the most exciting advances in treatment for childhood leukaemia for decades.

“Intensive chemotherapy can now cure the vast majority of children but a significant number still tragically die every year because they do not respond to treatment.

“CAR-T cell therapy offers the genuine chance of a long-term cure for children who otherwise would have no other hope.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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