Thousands of cancer patients every year will be able to receive a quick and easy injection instead of a drip as England becomes the first country in Europe to offer a new jab.
The NHS is rolling out an injectable form of the immunotherapy nivolumab, which can be given in three to five minutes and works for 15 different cancers, such as lung, bowel, kidney, bladder, oesophageal, skin and head and neck cancer.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the new under-the-skin injection version of nivolumab, also known as Opdivo, on Wednesday as an alternative to intravenous (IV) infusions.
At present, patients need to be in hospital for a 30 or 60-minute infusion every two to four weeks.
Under the change, patients will still go to hospital but the jab will be administered in just a few minutes.
NHS England said the roll-out will save more than a year’s worth of treatment time for patients and NHS teams every year, freeing up staff for more appointments and making care swifter for patients.
Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody that works by binding to a protein called PD-1 on a type of immune cell called T-cell.
This blocks cancer cells from switching off T-cells, allowing the immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells.
It is estimated around 1,200 patients in England per month could benefit from the switch – around two in five patients who currently receive IV nivolumab.
Most new patients are also likely to start treatment with nivolumab injections.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England national clinical director for cancer, said: “Immunotherapy has already been a huge step forward for many NHS patients with cancer, and being able to offer it as an injection in minutes means we can make the process far more convenient.
“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 navigating illness.
“A new jab that fastens up cancer treatment is a prime example of this, so it’s fantastic to see 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.
“Our National Cancer Plan will transform the way we approach this disease, improving care and bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.”
The new treatment comes at no extra cost to the NHS after an agreement was reached between NHS England and the manufacturer Bristol Myers Squibb.
