‘Trojan horse' treatment given green light for NHS use
Blood cancer patients in England will be among the first in the world to have access to a new 'Trojan horse' treatment, health officials have announced.
The targeted therapy can stop myeloma from progressing by nearly three times as long as existing treatments, studies suggest.
It is estimated that around 1,500 patients a year with multiple myeloma – an incurable cancer of the bone marrow – will benefit from the treatment.
It comes after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) approved belantamab mafodotin, also known as Blenrep and made by GlaxoSmithKline, for NHS use.
NHS England said that it is the first health system in the world to roll out the treatment.
Officials said that the drug can now be offered to patients whose cancer has progressed or not responded to another first-line treatment.
The treatment, which is given as an infusion every three weeks along with other cancer drugs, is a type of antibody drug which targets and attaches to cancer cells.
It has been dubbed a 'Trojan horse' treatment because it works by being taken into a cancer cell, before releasing a high concentration of a lethal molecule to destroy the cell from inside.
'Myeloma is an aggressive type of blood cancer, but we have seen a steady improvement in the outlook for patients over recent years as we have introduced new targeted therapies,' Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England's national clinical director for cancer, said.
'I am delighted that patients in England will be the first to benefit from this new treatment, which has the potential to keep cancer at bay for years longer, giving people the chance of more precious time with friends and family.
'This treatment could be life-changing for many patients and their families, and that's why it is so important that the NHS continues to secure quick access to the latest, innovative treatments like this, at affordable prices to the taxpayer.'
🚨 Do you know the key symptoms of #myeloma? 🚨
Help us spread the word by sharing this post! Early diagnosis makes all the difference. If something feels off, don't wait – talk to your GP!#BloodCancerAwarenessMonth @MyelomaUK pic.twitter.com/8owed3w4Kn
— DKMS UK | We Delete Blood Cancer (@DKMS_uk) September 6, 2024
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: 'We're delighted that people in the UK will become among the first in the world to access belantamab mafodotin for this indication.
'This recommendation demonstrates our commitment to getting the best care to patients fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer.'
Trials have suggested that the treatment, in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone, delayed progression of the disease by an average of three years, compared to just over a year for patients taking commonly-used drug daratumumab along with the other treatments.
Patient Paul Silvester, 60, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with myeloma in July 2023 and received treatment at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.
The first treatment he was given failed to stop his cancer from progressing so he was given belantamab mafodotin through an early access programme.
'I feel like this treatment has brought the party balloons back in the house. It has been amazing – within the first two or three weeks, after the first dose, I was in remission,' he said.
'It gives me quite a lot of confidence in the drugs and it makes me more optimistic about the future.
'I've been feeling well and I'm still quite active – that's what's important in terms of your quality of life.
'One of my daughters is graduating from university in October and it's a goal for me to be there.'
Shelagh McKinlay, director of research and advocacy at blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, said: 'It's fantastic to see the UK at the forefront of myeloma treatment.
'We have been working very hard for the last year to get this treatment approved and we know it will transform the lives of thousands of people with myeloma.'
Health Minister Karin Smyth said: 'This groundbreaking therapy puts the NHS at the forefront of cancer innovation.
'By harnessing cutting-edge 'trojan horse' technology, we're offering new hope to blood cancer patients across the country.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Global experts met in East London to try and fix the mental health crisis — their solutions will surprise you
East London was even buzzier than usual last week. Thousands packed into venues around Shoreditch for the inaugural South by Southwest (SXSW) London, a music, tech and film festival which started life in sunny Austin, Texas. It was a broad church: Tony Blair argued we should have AI doctors and nurses to relieve pressure on the NHS, while rapper Tinie Tempah backed a scheme to get young people away from their screens and onto the dancefloor. Many of the talks led back to the mental health crisis, which has overtaken cancer and obesity to become the biggest global health concern. Industry leaders laid out their visions for alleviating the crisis, with solutions spanning tech, psychedelics and prescribed laughter. At a talk simply named 'The Mental Health Crisis', one of the leading child psychiatrists in the US, Dr Harold S Koplewicz, was unequivocal about the prime suspect. 'What happened between 2014 and 2018? We didn't change the water supply. We didn't change the telephone lines. We had social media.' Youth mental health has deteriorated with alarming speed in recent years. Analysis of NHS data by the charity Mind shows that more than 600,000 under-18s are on mental health waiting lists, with a quarter having waited for over two years for 'meaningful' care such as an appointment with a psychiatrist. Yet the challenges persist even when they get to the appointment. 'One of the few things that psychiatry doesn't have is an objective test,' said Koplewicz. 'We have lots of people who are inattentive, but they don't all have ADHD. Someone might be anxious, someone might be bored, someone might be gifted.' To that end, he and his team have invested millions of dollars in developing comprehensive evaluations for children. Tech may be the bogeyman of mental health, but Koplewicz also thinks it can be harnessed for good. He has tapped into Gen Z's obsession with journalling to develop an app called Mirror, which uses AI to summarise how users are feeling and to recognise behaviour patterns, as well as monitoring the entries. 'So far, 270 young people have been taken to the Crisis Text Line through the app, while five of them called 911,' said Koplewicz, who was keen to stress that an app like Mirror (currently only available in the US) is not a replacement for therapy, nor does he think the rising trend of AI therapy is 'the safe way to go'. Much of the attention in the mental health crisis is paid towards young people, and rightly so. But the problem spans generations. In the UK, poor mental health is now the leading cause of workplace absence, according to the Health and Safety Executive. Meanwhile, antidepressants were taken by 8.7 million people in England in 2023, with the amount of prescriptions having almost doubled since 2011. As a psychiatrist, Professor David Nutt has prescribed many patients with traditional SSRI antidepressants like Prozac. 'That's all I've got,' he told me. 'We know that they work, but they don't work very well.' While SSRIs have helped many people out of depression, experts estimate almost 30 per cent of major depressive disorders are treatment resistant. Yet Nutt insists there is a treatment: psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms which is classified as a Class A drug and illegal to administer outside of clinical trials. 'A quarter, maybe a third, of people would definitely do better with psychedelics than they would with SSRIs,' he said. Nutt was fresh off a panel at SXSW London about the future of mental health and psychedelics, where he railed against the establishment view of drugs like psilocybin and LSD. 'The banning of psychedelics is the worst censorship of research and clinical therapy in the history of the world,' he said. 'There is no other example where there has been a global blockade of understanding.' Yet the results from clinical trials have been remarkable. A King's College London trial found that a 25mg dose of psilocybin had a significant impact in reducing symptoms of depression in participants with treatment-resistant depression. In 2023, Australia became the first country in the world to legalise the use of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions. Nutt hopes that the UK will follow suit. 'We should liberate them for utility, and we should do it soon please, because I'm getting old and I really want to celebrate,' he told the audience. 'If we don't, many, many, people will be condemned to a life of misery.' For those who prefer the drug-free route, another panel talk offered something more analogue: a dose of laughter. Lu Jackson founded Craic Health with the aim of providing 'comedy on prescription'. Alongside Labour MP Dr Simon Opher, Jackson is working to integrate prescribed lols into NHS policy. 'It's not the one cure, but it adds to the toolbox of things that we can look at to improve our mental ill health,' she said. Many studies have established the therapeutic benefits of laughter, so why not harness this natural serotonin booster? Jackson wants to set up workshops everywhere from GP clinics to retirement homes, where amusing folk would come along to cheer up the individual or a crowd. 'It doesn't have to be a comedian, it could be a writer, it could be a clown.' Plus, it would help jobbing comedians gain an extra income stream in an increasingly precarious industry. But what if the jokes are really bad — wouldn't that be even more depressing? Comedian and co-panellist Jonathan Pie thought not: 'I always think a bad stand-up gig is some of the best theatre.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Should people be paid to donate blood? Yahoo readers have their say
Yahoo UK's poll of the week lets you vote and indicate your strength of feeling on one of the week's hot topics. After the poll closes, we'll publish and analyse the results each Friday, giving readers the chance to see how polarising a topic has become and if their view chimes with other Yahoo UK readers. The NHS is urging people to come forward as blood donors, saying there is a "critical" need for certain blood types. On Monday this week, officials said 200,000 more donors were needed in England to maintain the blood supply. Low blood stocks prompted officials to issue an 'amber alert' over supply for hospitals last year and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said more must be done to avoid a 'red alert'. The blood type most in demand is the so-called universal blood type — O negative blood — needed for treatment in emergencies. There is also a need for more Black donors, who are more likely to have specific blood types that can help treat people with sickle cell disease. In our poll earlier this week, we asked Yahoo readers if they thought an incentive could attract more donors and posed the question: Should people be paid for donating blood? Two thirds of respondents to our poll (66%) thought no, blood donations should be voluntary. Some 29% thought yes, people should be paid, while a further 5% were undecided. We also asked, 'How much would prompt you to donate blood?' The vast majority of respondents (70%) said they were happy to do it for free. Of those who stated an amount, the most popular options were smaller sums, 8% said a value up to £20 would tempt them, while a further 8% cited a payment between £21 and £40. Only 5% said an amount of £100 or more would prompt them to donate. The poll's Have Your Say feature attracted some passionate comments, with a number of readers citing safety concerns as one of the reasons they didn't agree with payment for donations. Stephen A from Westbury, said: "I don't think it is a good idea to pay people for blood donations because we could have a similar situation to the blood scandal in the seventies. People who had all sorts of illnesses and drug-related problems sold their blood and created an unnecessary health problem for otherwise healthy individuals." Richard S from the Highlands agreed, saying: "Payment for blood will attract many short of money because they have taken drugs." Some readers even said payment would prevent them from donating. "I decided to become a blood donor when my wife was admitted to hospital in the last month of pregnancy," said Ian H from Hinckley. "I have now completed 104 donations … If I was told at that first donation that I would be paid, I would not have continued." However, some including Lenny T from Kent, said they agreed with payments for donation. "If it means more people will donate blood, it will help hospitals and doctors," they explained. Others said there were better ways to attract more donors, such as making the opening times and locations of donor centres more convenient, as well as increasing the age limit for giving blood, which currently stands at 65. "Those who donate do so for the best of reasons, to help others. it is a privilege to be able to help those in desperate need, and I was glad to be able to do so," said HMW from the Scottish Highlands. "I wish they would take blood from older folk – I'm late 60s – even if they have some health issues. If their iron is okay and you are not on life-saving meds, and are a universal donor – group O – it would help in crisis situations. I would love to be able to do something so useful beyond retirement." Denise D who lives in Italy said that convenience was an issue. "My daughter tried to give blood, she's donated for a long time. She tried to get another appointment, the first available appointment was three months later and 30 miles away," she said. "There need to be more collection points and nearer city centres." N Anderson from Worcestershire agreed saying: "Maybe the service should come to local villages, as they used to, asking people to travel to main towns with transport and parking charges is not on." Read more of Yahoo UK's Poll of the Week articles
Medscape
6 hours ago
- Medscape
NHS England Extends Cervical Screening to 5 Years for Many
From July, women in England aged 25 to 49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) will be invited for cervical screening every 5 years instead of every 3 years. NHS England said the updated screening schedule would provide women with a more personalised approach based on individual risk. The change follows a recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee and aligns with the current schedule for women aged 50 to 64 in England, as well as screening programmes in Scotland and Wales. Evidence Supports Longer Interval NHS England highlighted that studies have shown that people who test negative for HPV are extremely unlikely to develop cervical cancer within the next decade. Research led by King's College London and published in The BMJ in 2022 found that 5-yearly screening for HPV-negative women was as safe as 3-yearly screening. The study reported no difference in the number of cancers detected and confirmed that less frequent testing was needed. Women who test positive for HPV, with or without abnormal cell changes, will continue on shorter recall. Those with no cell changes will be invited for re-screening in one year, while HPV-positive women with cell changes will be referred for colposcopy. Women will continue to follow the recall schedule advised at their last screening. Only those screened on or after 1 July and meeting the criteria will move to the 5-year interval. Screening Based on Personal Risk Cervical screening was first launched in the UK in 1964. Since 2019, all cervical screening samples collected in England have been tested for high-risk HPV, which is more accurate than the previous method of cytology testing. Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer in the UK, with around 3300 new cases each year – nearly all of which are caused by HPV. Since 2008, girls in school year 8 have been offered a vaccine against certain strains of HPV. The programme was extended to boys in 2019. Evidence shows that the vaccine has reduced cervical cancer rates by 90% in England. In Scotland, there have been no recorded cases among vaccinated women since the schools' programme was introduced for girls in 2008. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'Screening, alongside the roll-out of the HPV vaccine, has seen cervical cancer rates drop by around a quarter since the early 1990s.' Dr Sue Mann, NHS national clinical director for women's health, said: 'Taking a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help ensure everyone eligible can make the most of these life-saving services, while sparing women appointments that they don't need.' Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of The Eve Appeal, said: 'This new guidance is good news for those at low risk, because they will no longer need to go for cervical screening as often.' Digital Reminders Aim to Boost Uptake The NHS has introduced digital invitations and reminders for cervical screening through the NHS App, as part of a new 'ping and book' service to boost uptake. Eligible women will first receive a notification through the app to alert them to book a screening appointment. If not opened, a follow-up text message will be sent. Paper letters will still be used for those who need them. The 2023-2024 NHS Cervical Screening Programme annual report for England found that 68.8% of women aged 25 to 64 were screened within the recommended timeframe, a slight increase from 68.7% the year before. Coverage was highest among women aged 50 to 64 (74.3%) and lowest among those aged 25 to 49 (66.1%). Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, welcomed the move to digital invites. 'Nearly half of the women we polled last year said the ability to book screenings via the app would make them more likely to attend future appointments,' she said.
