26
Jan 2021
Green light given to new NHS immunotherapy cancer treatment
Following the approval of a new immunotherapy treatment by regulators, around 100 NHS patients a year in England will benefit from cutting-edge cancer treatment.
The green light has been given by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to a personalised cancer treatment that could offer a lifeline for elderly patients with a form of lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.
The treatment will be available across England from next week and is a form of CAR-T cell therapy to fight cancer. During the treatment, patients white blood cells are removed and genetically modified to recognise and destroy cancer cells when they are put back into the patient.
The treatment, known as Tecartus, will be made available to patients with relapsing or refractory mantle cell lymphoma who have previously been treated with a drug called Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, such as ibrutinib.
Meindert Boyson of NICE’s centre for health technology evaluation, said “We are pleased to be able to recommend another revolutionary CAR-T cell therapy, this time for adults with mantle cell lymphoma, which represents a step forward for personalised medicine.
Clinicians will be able to consider this innovative therapy for their patients because of joint working between NICE, NHS England and the company.
“CAR-T cell therapy is expensive. The treatment is specific to each individual and could be a potential cure for some, although it is early days. Our recommendation for Tecartus, on the Cancer Drugs Fund, means people can benefit while more data is collected.”
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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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